The Return of Mewtwo
by KRRouse
Summary: An alternate sequel to Pokemon: The First Movie. Mewtwo and his clones have relocated to the peaceful Ivory Island, but they will never be left in peace while Giovanni is looking for them. Can Ash and his friends, Mew, and a girl named Kara help?
1. Remembering the Past

(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, including Domino, who I just couldn't help but include in this retelling.)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter I**

He was having that dream again.

Complete silence, floating calmly through crystal blue water as bubbles danced up and around him. The river plants just below him, chalk white in color and thin like long blades of grass, swayed gently back and forth with the soft currents around them. It was an image of peace.

And then _she_ arrived.

A sprightly creature, she was much smaller than him in size, but her long-legged, cat-like appearance was not so different from his own. Blue eyes blinked up at him as the pink figure zipped by through the water grass and rose eagerly towards the water's surface, as if in pursuit of something. Reluctant but obligated, he followed.

The creature began to pick up speed as she skimmed just beneath the surface, her legs playfully kicking up tiny splashes of foam, tail failing wildly behind her. Finally, she angled her momentum upward and shot clear from the water and into the cobalt Amazon sky. She did not cease her flight just yet, but tilted herself further upright and looped high overhead, loudly giggling all the while. As he lifted himself out of the water to hover over the river's center, she completed her circle and came to a stop behind him, floating upside-down. He turned with little enthusiasm to meet her eye.

Curiously, the little pink creature tilted her head and blinked at him, then called out one word in a high voice.

"_Mew!_"

Mewtwo angrily tore his gaze away and immediately felt a hard, unpleasant jolt as he fell on his back and woke with a start. Gone was the bright blue sky, replaced with a black and gray one dotted with stars. Instead of a river, he found himself overlooking a field of barren rock. There was a large lake off to his right, where the monstrous blue head of a Gyrados turned towards him and roared in an oddly quiet tone.

Mewtwo acknowledged his fellow clone with a brief glance and looked ahead to the horizon. The sun would be rising soon.

"These dreams," he mused. "Why do these dreams hound me so? I grow weary of them…"

He rose to his feet and silently waited for the dawn.

Mewtwo was not located in a canyon, or even in a desert, but rather, in the crater of a long extinct volcano. Over the decades, the giant bowl shaped depression had collected rainwater, forming what served as a convenient pool for the water-bound members of his company. What was more, the volcano itself was located on an island surrounded by ocean water. There was a mainland not far away, but Mewtwo had observed that only a few boats from there would visit the island once a month, and they always stayed close to the shores. On this island, he and his clones were safe from prying eyes—the eyes of humans.

The psychic pokémon frowned at the thought of the word. Humans. It was humans who had created him in their laboratories, humans who had viewed him as little more than an experiment. It was humans who had planned to use him as a tool for their own purposes.

_You were created by humans to serve humans. You could never be our equal_, his former master Giovanni had said to him. The words echoed coldly in Mewtwo's memory.

It was his dislike of humans that had soon afterwards brought him back to New Island, the place where his life had begun, and had led him to rebuild the laboratory there. His equipment and facilities ready, he'd then named himself the World's Greatest Pokémon Master and invited every powerful trainer he could find to his island to challenge him. The temptation had been a trap, as he'd planned to capture and clone their prized pokémon while destroying the rest of humanity with a deadly storm outside. And he had almost succeeded…until _she'd_arrived.

Mew. The source of his DNA and the one who's shadow he was created to live as. The little pink creature from his dreams. Mewtwo had been determined to prove himself stronger than his original, and had made his intentions clear immediately after Mew's arrival at his arena. Mew had complied, and they'd both fought fiercely against each other that night, forcing the other pokémon and their clones to do likewise.

But then, as the battle had raged on and the strength of both sides had begun to deteriorate, something else unexpected had happened. One of the trainers, a young dark-haired boy, had thrown himself in between Mew and Mewtwo's beams of psychic energy and ended the conflict. He had sacrificed himself to save both the original and clone pokémon. In turn, the creatures he'd spared from death had restored his life with the very water of their tears.

His eyes opened to this vision of equality, Mewtwo had abandoned his pursuit of dominance over Mew and departed from New Island with her and his clones—after erasing the memories of the boy and every other trainer and pokémon who had been present that night. Mew had then led him here to Ivory Island, a tiny volcanic isle in the Jotoh Region, where his company could live in peace, away from humans.

Even after his moving experience on New Island, Mewtwo could not bring himself to trust man; the actions of one boy did not redeem an entire race. And it was on Ivory Island that he stood this very morning.

The black sky faded to purple as the first rays of orange light appeared on the ocean's horizon. Mewtwo stared at the beautiful scene listlessly.

Mew had not remained on Ivory Island with him and the other clones. In fact, she'd barely even stayed with them long enough to see the clones settle into their new home. Her memory, however, had stayed, and had haunted him every night since his arrival to this place. What did these dreams mean? Why did he always see Mew silently taunting him in and over the water? Had the "vision" of equality between clones and originals only been an illusion? So many questions flooded his head today, the same that plagued him every day.

"What is my purpose?" he asked inaudibly. Then finally, as he gazed out over the sea at the half-risen sun and listened to the soft whistle of the wind, he asked himself the most feared question of all:

"Who am I?"

………………

The sun was high in its noon position when the tiny psychic creature sailed over the first small lagoon, a sign that she was now in the midst of one of the Jotoh Region's coral reefs. With a high-pitched squeak, the pokémon spun playfully like a corkscrew and shot forward even faster than before.

It was none other than Mew, who—much like in Mewtwo's dream—was growing eager as she appeared to be drawing closer to some unknown destination. Not once had she halted her flight since leaving her home in the jungles of the south. At times, she would fly just over the water and drag her toes across its wet surface, and even dive under in a pink bubble to search for other pokémon on the ocean floor.

All the while she'd been entertaining herself this way, blissfully unaware of the device that was monitoring her every movement from high, high above her in the sky.

--


	2. Report to the Boss

(Disclaimer: I don't own anything.)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter II**

Giovanni knew immediately from the anxious tone of Agent 009's voice and the unhidden look of excitement on her face that very good news was in store. She was contacting the Team Rocket Boss by way of the large floor-to-ceiling videophone in his private quarters, as Agent 009 was currently located in the Johto Region, and could not speak with Giovanni in person.

"Boss, I've just received this footage from my Poké-cam," she explained urgently. "This could be what we've been waiting for."

"Is it my missing old friend?" Giovanni asked with a hint of sly amusement in his commanding voice.

"It's even better, sir," the agent replied. Her face was then replaced by an image of ocean water, filmed from an aerial view directly above it. A small pinkish-white pokémon could be seen in the center of the screen. It was flying, despite its apparent lack of wings, and was happily zipping about in loops and spirals as it progressed forward. At one point, it disappeared beneath the water and created a pink glow that could be seen even from the Poké-cam's high altitude. Giovanni realized almost instantly what he was looking at.

"Mew," he said with greedy awe.

"It's what we've wanted from the beginning," Agent 009's voice went on. "If we can capture it, there'll be no more need to find Mewtwo."

Mew rose back above the water and teleported away, vanishing from the scene in a blink of white light. The film then looped back to the beginning and started replaying.

"Stay focused on your task, 009," Giovanni countered, "but do keep an eye on this pokémon as well. Locate it again, and try to determine where it is heading."

"I already have, sir," she continued coolly. "Mew doesn't teleport far; it's still in the same area. And looking at the direction it was flying in, I've traced its course to the southern edge of the Johto Region." A map of a shoreline appeared on the screen. "There's an island just off the coast there: Ivory Island. It's mostly forest. I've got a feeling that Mew's gonna land there."

"Very good," Giovanni nodded.

"It should reach Ivory Island by this evening. I plan to take a boat over there so I can continue tracking it."

"See that you do, Agent 009, and contact me again when you've found out more."

"Yes sir," she said, and signed off.

Giovanni sat for a minute, thinking about the information he'd just been given. Agent 009 had been dispatched on her mission to find Mewtwo two years ago, shortly after the psychic pokémon had destroyed Team Rocket's headquarters and escaped. She had found nothing worthy of the Boss's attention until today. Although it was not Mewtwo, the mission's main target, he had allowed the young Rocket agent to pursue Mew, knowing well that this small creature was just as powerful as its mighty clone. And though no proof existed to back him up, Giovanni somehow knew that 009—if her guess was correct and her new hunt was a success—would find more than Mew when she reached Ivory Island.

A devilish sneer of a smile appeared on his shadowy face, and he turned his swiveling chair to gaze out the window at the mountainous landscape beyond.

--


	3. Destination in Sight

(Disclaimer: I don't own anything.)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter III**

"Ash! Slow down already! The next gym isn't going anywhere!"

Ash Ketchum winced at the sound of Misty's nagging and reluctantly slowed his pace. He'd been at least ten meters ahead of her and Brock since they'd woken up that morning. He couldn't help it; he was anxious! For some reason, he had this feeling that he and his friends were getting close to the next stage of their journey—that something exciting was in store for today. And even if his intuition was wrong, he couldn't help it if Misty walked so slow to begin with.

But even as he trudged on so far ahead of his two friends, Ash was not alone.

"_Pika!_"

Pikachu, the little yellow mouse-like pokémon that Ash had begun his epic journey with, was perched on his shoulders with its tiny hands grasping the edges of his red baseball cap. The cheery lightning-element creature was clearly excited, and gestured at something to its master's far left. "_Pika-pi!_"

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked in puzzlement as he followed his friend's direction. Pikachu's eyes and ears were some of the sharpest he'd ever known any pokémon to have, and Ash had learned from experience to trust them fully. Squinting into the hazy distance, he was just able to make out the faint silhouette of a wooden sign on the horizon.

As he paused to study the distant shape, Misty and Brock ceased their frustrated jogging and came to panting halt at Ash's side. Misty gasped with exhaustion, and had to place her tiny Togepi on the grass before her in order to grasp her knees. At her feet, the little egg-shaped pokémon blinked up at its supposed mother and chirped its name happily, oblivious to the scene surrounding it.

Brock followed Ash and Pikachu's gazes. "What's that?"

"It's the big step forward that we've been waiting for," Ash said eagerly, and suddenly tore off towards the sign, leaving his traveling companions behind once again.

Wrinkling his brow, Brock hurried after him. Misty's face reddened as she turned her head to watch him go. Was this ever going to end?

She sighed as she picked up the chirping little bundle in front of her and staggered to keep up with them.

Ash skidded to a halt in front of the sign, and his eyes sparkled with triumph as he read the bold white letters nailed to its wooden front: REEF'S COAST AND IVORY ISLAND WELCOME YOU!

"This is it!" Ash exclaimed. "I knew we'd reach the next town today! I just _know_ there's a pokémon gym waiting there for me!"

"I wouldn't count on it, Ash," Brock said in a down-to-earth tone as he observed the sign. "Neither of those places are listed on the Johto map as gym cities."

"I don't care what's there," Misty's voice piped impatiently as she finally caught up to the boys, "just as long as they _are_ cities! I'm sick of running!"

"Well it looks like we've found a cure for you," Brock said cheerfully. He pointed ahead of them. "Look!"

The rag-tag little company smiled as one at the sight that greeted them. A small town, clearly buzzing with locals and visitors pouring in and out of brown-roofed buildings and stores, dotted the shores of the Johto Region. They had reached the sea.

"This must be Reef's Coast," Misty thought out loud. Her eyes suddenly gleamed. "Look! They've got restaurants!"

"Never mind that!" Ash said, now pointing at the town as well. "Look at _that_ building! That's gotta be some kind of gym!"

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Brock asked them all. "Let's go!"

"I'm way ahead of you!" Ash grinned. Then with a small jump and a kick of his legs, his metaphor became literal.

…………………

Whatever joy had been playing in Ash's head at the distant sight of Reef's Coast was completely dashed when he read the plaque outside that large, promising building.

"Reef's Coast Visitors Center?" he groaned with unmasked disappointment.

"I _told_ you it wasn't listed as a gym site," Brock said flatly. "This is a town for tourists, not trainers."

"But we haven't found a gym in weeks," Ash complained softly, dejected.

Misty clearly had no use for this conversation. "What's there to be depressed about in a place like this?" she asked. "This is the beach! This whole town was built for people to have a good time in!"

"Yeah," Ash said, forcing the corners of his mouth up into a lame smile. "I guess we might as well take the day off today."

"_Pikachu!_" his yellow friend nodded. Pikachu, to say the least, was glad to see Ash and Misty in agreement for once.

"How about we look around in the visitors center while we're here?" Brock offered. He reached for one of the brightly colored pamphlets stacked on a small table in front of them. "I'm sure we'll find something interesting inside."

"I'm up for that," Misty chimed in.

"So am I," Ash said with a little less enthusiasm. Together, the three kids and their pokémon made their way to the pair of glass doors that led to the building's interior.

Ash was the last of the trio to enter the doors. Quietly, he placed his hand on the glass pane and blinked in at the main lobby ahead of him. The smooth walls were painted a glossy white, and shimmered brightly in the sunlight beaming down from checkerboard-arranged roof windows. People inside the center were crowding around a series of framed photographs and encased objects, all of which bore some historical significance. It seemed like a nice place, but he couldn't help but frown at the sight of it. He'd wanted to have a pokémon battle—an_adventure_—not a tour of a museum.

And then an idea came to him. With a hint of his old curiosity, he turned around to look out over the ocean beyond. There, amongst the bobbing field of blue waves and white clouds, was a tiny green and brown shape. Ivory Island.

Ash could see the brown cone of a mountain's peak rising into the sky from the island's center, pronounced by the white sky behind it.

From Ash's shoulders, Pikachu twitched its black-tipped ears with equal curiosity.

Misty stopped and turned to see Ash still standing in the doorway. Strangely, this apparent unwillingness to let his silly hope go didn't aggravate her, and she went back to him.

"What is it Ash?" she asked him softly. She could see an expression of deep thought on his face, and she glanced over his shoulder to see what had captured his attention so fully. A second later, Brock had joined them.

Ash studied the tall mountain for another moment, then formed another, much more genuine smile.

"Hey guys?" he asked breathlessly. "Why don't we go to Ivory Island?"

--


	4. An Approaching Storm

(Disclaimer: Not mine)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter IV**

Brock blinked. "There's no boats going _anywhere_ today?" he echoed.

"But we were planning to go to Ivory Island," Ash pointed out pleadingly.

"There _have_ to be boats going out!" Misty chimed in.

The blue-haired policewoman was unwavering. "You heard me," she said curtly. "The boats are all staying docked. We run on a purely routine schedule here, and we don't make exceptions."

After deciding unanimously to go on an impromptu cruise, Ash, Brock, and Misty had gone straight down to the Reef's Coast docks. But their hopes were instantly dashed when they'd asked the port's Officer Jenny which of the many white liners was heading out today, only to get an unexpected and unpleasant response.

The young officer studied the three disappointed faces in front of her. "Look, if your hearts are that set on going to the island, a supply boat's gonna set sail for it in six days," she said in a softer tone.

"Really?" Ash leaned closer.

Officer Jenny nodded. "Yeah. Our boats double as ferries for passengers. They go to Ivory Island, stay there for twenty-four hours, and head back here. We only send a boat out once a month, so I'd stay pretty close to this part of town if you want this opportunity."

The woman was a good salesperson.

"How much would a hotel room cost here?" Brock asked.

"About seven dollars even," Jenny answered. "That's per person, per day, though."

Ash put a finger to his chin. "Well that's not too much," he thought out loud. "It's only…"

"A hundred and twenty-six dollars!" Misty finished. Ash's eyes bulged nearly out of his head as he groaned at this unwelcome observation.

"Isn't there another way to get there?" Brock asked.

The officer shook her head. "Sorry, but this is strictly a marine port. You're just gonna have to wait."

The three kids sighed heavily in unison.

But their conversation hadn't gone unnoticed.

A small figure stepped forward then, commanding the four's attention.

"Hey there! You could hitch a ride on _my_ boat, if you want!" the figure offered cheerfully.

The voice belonged to a girl, barely much taller than Ash and with wide-curled blonde hair. Sporting a pink-and-white baseball cap, a tight-fitting, matching outfit, and a hands-on-hips stance, she seemed more like a teenager on her way to the mall than a young boat captain. This flirty apparel, however, didn't fool Officer Jenny.

"Do you have room on your boat for three other people?" she asked.

The girl's sapphire eyes twinkled. "I think we can manage."

Brock, apparently, hadn't needed much more than a second to weigh his options.

"We'd be more than happy to take you up on that offer!" he said eagerly, his cheeks growing red as he took several steps forward. "_I_ certainly would, miss…"

"Domino," the girl introduced herself, stepping back awkwardly. Misty couldn't help but roll her eyes at the embarrassing scene unfolding in front of her, typical as it was of Brock.

"She's a pokémon researcher," Officer Jenny explained. "She called here about an hour ago asking if it was alright to sail through these waters."

"I'm going to Ivory Island to study the wild pokémon there," Domino added proudly.

"A pokémon researcher," Brock repeated smoothly. "You must be really smart!" He leaned in a little too close for comfort just then. "Beautiful inside _and_ out!"

"Can you really take us there?" Ash asked eagerly, trying to distract their would-be helper's attention from his lovesick friend.

"Of course!" Domino replied, quickly spinning away from Brock. "Unless you have luggage with you, that it."

"No luggage. Just us," Misty answered.

"Then follow me!" the blonde girl smiled, and with that, she turned and led them away, Brock close in toe.

"Wow!" Ash grinned, picking up his pace as he and Misty followed. "Thanks a lot, Domino!"

"Oh, it's no problem," she insisted with the utmost modesty. "I do what I can to help my fellow man."

"I'm sure you do what you can for pokémon too," Brock said. From Ash's shoulder, Pikachu nodded and piped its name.

Domino smiled as she walked slightly ahead of the little group.

"I certainly go to great lengths for them," she said.

…………………

While the person eavesdropping on their conversation with Officer Jenny had made her presence known quickly, the three individuals eavesdropping on Ash, Brock, and Misty's conversation with Domino only took greater pains to keep themselves hidden. And they did so in the most literal sense of the phrase.

"Ow! Watch where you put your elbow!" one hissed.

"You're shoulder's in my eye!" the second one whined.

"Would you's two quit steppin' on my tail!" the third growled. "_Me_-OW!"

Their strategy clearly proving unsuccessful, the three members of Team Rocket tumbled back noisily out of the potted hedges, making sure to fall on the opposite side from Domino and the trio of trainers. Groaning, they lay in a motionless heap on the pavement for several seconds before getting up.

"Doh!" Jessie, the maroon-haired woman in the team, scowled. "Those twerps have all the luck!"

"While we have all the pain," James, a young man with lavender, chin-length hair, added glumly.

"So they gets all the breaks, and we does nothin' but complain," the cat-like pokémon Meowth concluded, finishing the semi-famous lyrics. "So what? _Me_-owth says _we_-owth are gonna turn the tables on those tree this time!"

"What makes you so sure?" Jessie asked bleakly.

"'Cause while _they're_ fightin' against the waves, _we'll_ be ridin' with the rays!"

"Ah!" James said, starting up as he realized Meowth's meaning. "_Air traffic_ is the one problem that we always float away from!"

"Are you suggesting that we _take wing_ of this opportunity?" Jessie asked with beaming eyes.

"Team Rocket's gonna get a _bird's eye view_ of the situation!" Meowth concluded, pointing a clawed finger high up over his head with finality.

James full-heartedly piped, "An _air_-ial view!"

Jessie nodded. "That would be a _soaring_ idea—if our transportation hadn't been completely _grounded_ on the way to this place," she finished flatly.

James and Meowth collapsed with identical "_Doh_!"'s. The team had discovered the previous day that mountaintops were an air hazard they hadn't counted on meeting.

"But Jessie!" James groaned. "They'll be leaving in a minute! What are we going to do?"

"We'll just have to fix our balloon in _less_ than a minute!" she said back forcefully, and the three took off together in the opposite direction of the docks.

…………………

Domino estimated that the sail to Ivory Island would take roughly an hour. The sleek silver speedboat she captained may have been a quick little transport, but the distance from the coast to the island was far, and the winds were moving against them. Knowing that their only other option was to wait six days and spent an outrageous amount of money that they could never accumulate, Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu had no problem whatsoever with this slight setback.

No problem, that is, until they began to notice storm clouds rolling in with echoes of thunder, completely darkening the once crystal skies. And by then, they were all crowded inside Domino's speedboat, surrounded by churning water on all sides.

The trainers gasped together as a bolt of lightning flickered in the distance.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Misty asked fearfully, hugging Togepi a little closer than before.

"I've sailed in worse weather than this!" Domino said haughtily. "The trick is to just go faster and not think about it!"

Pikachu twitched its ears suddenly, surprised by a drop of water on the crown of its head. A second later, it felt another drop, and called out unhappily. Ash seemed to know what his pokémon friend was complaining about, and his thoughts were confirmed when he felt a wet droplet on his arm. The rain was setting in now.

"Ahh!" he yelped as it suddenly began pouring harder. "It's gonna be hard not to think about _this!_"

"Relax!" Domino said back with a little less patience than before. "I've got it all under complete control!"

…………………

Rain lashed at Kara's face as she took off down the street, pressing her orange cap down onto her head with both hands. Squinting through the water dripping into her eyes, she shouted frantically for her Mankey friend to slow down and let her catch up. As much as it despised the rain, the small round pokémon complied reluctantly.

A mere girl of thirteen, Kara had lived in the small town on Ivory Island all her life. She was short and thin, with brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair that stuck out in all directions, more so from neglect than from strange taste. To say the least, she was not a girl who preferred the in-doors.

But at the present moment, she was more than willing to overlook this distinctive little aspect of her personality.

She pointed eagerly to a nearby diner. "Over there! We can wait the storm out in there!"

Mankey shook its head. "_Mank mankey! Mank mank mank!_" it said stubbornly.

"It's coming down too hard, Mankey," Kara insisted. "We can't stay out in this!"

The furry pig-monkey creature glanced past her, looking out over the ocean as something caught its sharp eye. Noticing the intrigue on her little friend's face, Kara turned to follow his direction and stared with shock at the same object.

It was a boat. Even through the downpour, she could tell that it wasn't a supply ship; it was too small, and splashing up too much foam as it approached. The possibility that it was a wayfaring group of tourists passed through her head for a moment, but the tiny vessel was still too far away for her to be certain. It didn't matter anyway. Whoever was out there was probably wishing right about now that they weren't.

A mutual glance between her and Mankey was enough, and the two hurried down to the nearest dock to watch the hair-raising scene closer.

High above them, perched on the rocky crest surrounding his crater sanctuary, Mewtwo watched the boat as well.

To his detached gaze, it was little more than a silvery speck bobbing in the waves. The sight of it had merely sparked the psychic pokémon's curiosity, as it had not been a full month since the last vessel's arrival to the island. He cared nothing else for this boat.

Without a word, he lifted his gaze to the churning gray clouds, calmly studying their swirling dance.

It reminded him oddly of the storm he had created, so long ago. He noted with a hint of quiet pride that this typhoon—the product nature—wasn't nearly as powerful as his had been. His feeling of personal triumph was fleeting, however, as he understood the impact that a storm could have on his company's life here. Thunder and lightning, to him, meant destruction. And while this meant nothing for him and the other clones in their fortress of stone, it would mean very much to the tiny and fragile structures of the humans across the sea.

Mewtwo's attention returned to the small boat just then.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(MAN, is it tough writing those Team Rocket puns! I don't know how they can come up with those things off the tops of their heads like that!)


	5. Many New Arrivals

Check it out! I put together a picture of **Kara** for anyone who wants to see what she looks like! It's on my **deviantart **account:

/deviation/40034087/

--

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter V**

Jessie's eyes were filled with determination. "Well, we're right above them now," she chirped.

"I gotta paw it to yeh, James," Meowth added with some amazement. "You really _patched_ tings up when you patched tings up!"

The lavender-haired man grinned to himself. "This is probably the first plan I've ever hatched that isn't _full of_ _holes!_"

The Meowth-shaped balloon was slowly nudging along through the air a good five hundred meters above Domino's boat, wobbling only a little in the blustery winds. About half an hour ago, James had gotten his hands on a few rolls of aluminum foil and—having nothing else to work with—used the silvery wrap to cover the holes in the balloon. Now the giant Meowth head appeared to be dotted with wrinkly gray freckles as it hovered in the rain.

"They're movin' too fast for us to nab 'em from up here," the cat-like pokémon observed as he leaned over the rim of the basket.

"Then we'll just have to move in for a closer view," Jessie snapped, and reached eagerly for the cable to her left. Suddenly, a clap of thunder boomed deafeningly nearby, stopping all three of the no-gooders in an instant. Hesitantly, they lifted their heads as one and stared up at the unfriendly gray clouds that were beginning to form above their worn-out balloon.

Just then, a nervous realization came over each of them.

"Jessie…" James started. "I think we're about to make…"

"…A _shocking_ discovery?" she finished.

Meowth gulped loudly as the first sparks began to come into view from the sky. "_Foiled_ again!"

He couldn't have been more right.

The streak of white heat shot jaggedly down at the balloon, connecting right in the center of one of Jame's makeshift aluminum patches, and half a second later, the entire structure was shuddering with electricity. Trapped in the basket, the trio could do nothing but scream in unison as their transportation tumbled away, completely destroyed, towards Ivory Island.

"_Looks like Team Rocket's crashing down agaaaaaaaaain!_"

But the incident had gone unnoticed by the four kids in the boat. Pikachu was grasping Ash's arm in pure terror; even the little yellow creature was frightened by its own element. Beside them, Misty clutched Togepi even closer against her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut. Brock and Ash's gazes were locked in horror on the lightning above them. Domino, however, was staring ahead at the slowly approaching coast of the island, a light of unyielding determination blazing in her eyes.

"Can't you go any faster?" Ash shouted over the roaring wind.

"No, I can't!" the blonde-haired girl growled back as she wiped rain from her eyes. "Just relax back there!"

"Relax?!" Misty blasted. "We're on a metal boat surrounded by water in a lightning storm! How're we supposed to relax?"

"Just think about how quick and painless getting hit would be!" Brock shouted in reply, as if this was supposed to make his friends feel better about their predicament.

"We're gonna make it to that island!" Domino said firmly.

Ash took in a shaky breath, somehow comforted by these words. Domino knew what she was doing. They were going to make it to Ivory Island just fine…

"_Pika! Pika-pi!_"

Four pairs of eyes flew up immediately at the sound of the alarmed warning cry, and Ash, Brock, Misty, and Domino all locked their gazes speechlessly onto the swarming, flickering storm cloud above them.

And then the lightning bolt struck.

Misty screamed as she ducked down in her seat. Brock threw his arms over his head, uselessly trying to defend himself. Domino winced sharply and shouted a piercing, abrupt "_NO!_" And Ash, clutching Pikachu tightly against his chest, squeezed his frightened eyes shut and waited for the end to come.

But it never did.

He didn't hear the bolt hit. He didn't hear the zap of hot electricity on wet metal, and he didn't feel the sensation of its energy surging painfully through him. In fact, he didn't even feel the rain or the wind on his face anymore.

"Huh?" He slowly opened his eyes and peered up at the sky.

Blue. Everything around them was blue. The entire boat was encased in a bright, glowing bubble of some sort—a shield. A moment later, a chorus of confused noises sounded out softly as the others all opened their eyes to see the spectacle as well.

Brock and Misty's faces were equally dumbstruck. Pikachu looked puzzled as it stared up at the strange force field. Domino's eyes were filled with the utmost awe and disbelief at the sight, and she let her jaw drop open with amazement. It was just then that Ash realized he was doing the same thing.

And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the blue shield vanished, allowing the rain and wind to return. There was no sign of lightning in the clouds above them now.

A minute passed, and the company stood in absolute silence as their little vessel bobbed gently in the waves. Then slowly, they exchanged relieved glances, and Domino started the boat's engine up again.

They had just been saved.

And none of them had any idea who or what had granted them the favor.

……………………

Mewtwo lowered his arm without a word as he watched the speedboat take off again. That was one problem he had successfully adverted.

The whole incident had happened in less than a moment, but it had been enough to attract the attention of one tiny spectator. Ears twitching curiously, the Pikachu clone stood up on its hind legs to squint at the strange human vessel, studying it as it continued on its path. The little yellow mouse pokémon had witnessed the entire transaction, and when its interest in the boat faded away, it turned to look up at its leader.

"_Pi pika pika!_" it squeaked in amazement.

"I saved the _boat_," Mewtwo corrected brusquely. "If it had been damaged, the humans on board would have been stranded in the waters, and a search party would have gone out to find them. That boat is far too close to our island; I will not risk having more humans come here than necessary."

The Pikachu clone cocked its head. "_Pika-chu?_"

Mewtwo shook his head resolutely as he gazed out over the sea. "No," he answered coldly. "I do not waste my concern on their kind."

And just miles below the volcano's mouth, unbeknownst to the psychic cat, Kara and Mankey stood gaping at the undamaged vessel with no less shock than the four humans on board.

…………………

Mew was flying over the trees.

Twirling and looping, spinning and diving, the tiny creature continued making her way across the tops of the foliage, shielding herself from the pelting rain with a glowing pink bubble. She squeaked her name once, then pulled up slightly to hover in place. She was looking for something.

There was a pause as the tiny catlike pokémon turned her head left and right, straining her blue eyes to see through the rain, and straining her mind to reach out even further. She sensed something, and it was very close to her. But where exactly was it?

Suddenly—a signal! A sign that flashed in her head, pointing her once again in the right direction. The little psychic creature chirped happily, then turned to her right and dove gracefully underneath the green canopy, weaving her way playfully through the branches. She had found her destination.

But she wanted to go exploring first.

…………………

Domino's boat seemed to have been possessed by a sudden wave of energy and speed as it flew the rest of the distance to Ivory Island. Ash swore he'd never moved so fast before in his life, and his stomach was on the verge of turning inside out by the time they reached the shore.

"Is everyone alright?" Domino breathlessly asked her shivering passengers. They all nodded in response. "That was a close one back there. The three of you'd better get inside before the lightning starts up again."

"Where should we go?" Brock asked.

The blonde girl pointed at a small blue and gray building off to their right. "There's a diner right over there," she explained. "And there's an inn next door to it. The rent is pretty cheap—less than you would've had to spend back on Reef's Coast. You can stay there until the supply ship comes next week."

Misty tightened her grip on Togepi just a little more. "What about you, Domino?"

The young captain jerked her thumb back over her shoulder. "I'm going to the Pokémon Research Center." She winked playfully. "Got some homework to do before I start looking around."

Ash nodded his head, finally speaking up. "We were gonna do some looking around too. Is there anything to see on Ivory Island?"

Domino shrugged. "Well, I know there nothing interesting in the wilderness, but there's a few restaurants and shops here in the town square; you'll find something to do. I've gotta go now."

"Well thanks for everything, Domino," Brock jumped in with an eager grin. She hardly returned the gesture.

Ash smiled as well, "Yeah, thanks a bunch!"

"Oh please," the blonde girl waved them off nonchalantly. "It was nothing! I just gave you a little ride through the rain. But I really want to get a jump on my work right now, so if you'll excuse me…"

She nudged past Ash and Brock and picked up a long, nylon carrying case that was tied shut with a drawstring. Misty eyed the mysterious devise curiously.

"What's in there?" she asked.

"Just some field equipment," Domino replied coolly. "Tools mostly. I always come prepared."

"Alright then," Brock said in conclusion. "We'll see you around, Domino."

"Same to you guys!" she said back, and flashed the three trainers a quick "V for victory" sign and was gone.

Together, Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu then turned their attention to the diner that she had directed them to.

…………………

It was only twenty seconds after stepping inside the _Jerry's Place_ diner that the group encountered yet another hurtle in their trying journey that day. And to make matters worse, this one was going to have a much longer-lasting affect than lightning ever would.

Poverty.

"What?" Misty gasped. "What do you mean we're out of money?"

"I mean there's nothing inside my pockets that could get us a meal or a place to stay for the night," Brock answered with waning patience. He wondered sometimes if it was his frustration with Misty that made him become so desperate in the vicinity of other women.

Eyes bulging, Misty turned and ogled at Ash. "You don't have any either?"

"No…I guess not," he answered sheepishly. "I never thought to keep track of how much was left in my backpack."

Misty groaned and tugged at her red hair with one white-knuckled fist. "And I'm completely broke too! Now what are we supposed to do?"

"We'll figure something out," Brock said with control. "Just keep your hair on."

By this point, they had grabbed the attention of a red-and-purple-clad girl sitting behind them. She was seated at a booth next to the window, and the fidgety Mankey with her was currently crouched on the tabletop with its round nose mashed flat up against the glass. As much as it hated being wet, the poor pokémon still hated being indoors just a little more.

Kara couldn't help listening in on the three others' conversation. There was something funny about them, something that deserved a closer look. They were obviously visitors to Ivory Island; in her thirteen years of living here, she had come to know the residents of the small community quite well, and she'd never seen this trio before. It was also just as obvious from their talk that they were in a tight spot, and she realized that there was something she could do to help them. It wasn't long before her curiosity and sympathy finally took over, and with a calm smile, she spoke.

"Uh, excuse me…"

The other three turned to stare at her oddly, and she shrank back slightly, fiddling with a large pink seashell that hung around her neck.

"Sorry," Kara said bashfully. "Couldn't help overhearing. You need help with something?"

A second later, Ash snapped out of his stupor and nodded.

"Sort of," he said flatly. "We're out of money."

Kara sat up a little straighter then. "Well, I don't have much of that to give…but you could come to my house for some supper if you want."

Brock looked confused. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's just seven minutes away from here."

Misty suddenly looked guilty for the dramatic display she'd put on a minute ago. "You don't have to do that for us," she said apologetically. "I'm sure we'll find somewhere to stay."

But Kara shook her head, insisting on her offer. "No, really. I'd love to talk to someone from the outside world! It's not often that we get visitors here."

Ash, Brock, and Misty each exchanged interested glances. Pikachu twitched its ears curiously, and even Togepi blinked at the brown-haired girl. They were seriously considering her offer.

Finally, the group smiled and nodded.

"Alright," Ash said. "It's been weeks since we had a home-made meal."

The girl stood up with a smile and extended her hand. "I'm Kara. And this is Mankey. Say hello, Mankey!"

"_Mnk…_" it grunted tensely over its shoulder. The pig monkey wasn't about to take its bulging eyes off of the trees outside.

Ash took this greeting graciously enough, then shook Kara's hand as he introduced himself and his friends.

"You're sure you don't mind having us over?" Misty pressed on one more time.

"Not at all!" Kara replied. "My mom'll be thrilled to meet you too!"

Brock looked hesitantly at the door. "Well thanks! But we should probably wait 'til the rain—"

"_Mankey mankey!_"

The creature was little more than a brown and white blur as it dove off the table and flew straight out of the diner.

Kara grinned up at Brock. "…Lets up?" she finished.

…………………

_Splash!_

"_Pika-chu!_"

_Sploosh!_

The playful sounds had been enough to divert Mewtwo's pondering gaze from the calmed sea; the rains had moved on several minutes ago, making such splashing noises suddenly sound odd. Curiously, he turned to find the source of the commotion.

His purple eyes came to rest on the Pikachu clone, which was perched at the edge of the lake and gazing attentively out over the water. Squinting through the growing darkness, Mewtwo could make out the shapes of a dozen or so silver-green creatures leaping excitedly above the surface. He recognized them immediately, as the strange school of fishlike pokémon always behaved this way after a downpour.

They were Remoraid.

At that moment, the psychic cat felt strangely drawn in by the little performance.

The Remoraid were thinking and acting as one, always jumping in the same order, always swimming in the same positions, always in their exact pattern.

"Look at them," he mused dully to the Pikachu clone. "They each know their place in their world. They were all born into this lake, and so they truly belong there." His expression then became internal. "They truly belong to this earth. But we are clones. We do not have the same rights as they do to live here."

The smaller clone turned to gaze up at him calmly. "_Pikachu pi. Pika pika._"

Mewtwo met its eye just then, intrigued. "You do not think that?" he translated. "You feel that we are all the same simply because we are all alive?"

The other bobbed its head happily. "_Pika!_"

A thoughtful light switched on in Mewtwo's eye then, and there was a pause as he dwelled briefly on this simple, familiar philosophy. Not sure how to respond to the Pikachu, he lifted his head to study the graying shades of purple in the sky.

"Perhaps you are right…" he murmured, finding some peace for the moment.

And at the base of the volcano, peeking up through the leaves of the green canopy, Mew gazed at the evening sky as well.

--

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(Okay! Everybody's on Ivory Island now. Things are about to finally take off!)


	6. Witness to Mystery

(Disclaimer: I own nothing)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter VI**

Kara's house was every bit as quiet and modest as she was. A small five-room abode with a tiny cellar, it stood on a hill a good distance away from the town square and was surrounded by woods on three sides. Its only other resident was Kara's mother Lola, a tall thin woman with brown hair and a warm hospitality that put Ash in mind of his own mom.

"So how did you get here?" the woman asked the three at the dinner table later that night. "We don't get visitors here very often."

"We got a ride from someone," Ash answered in between gulps of his rice.

"In a speedboat," Brock added, finishing the incomplete answer. "She was a pokémon researcher who wanted to do some field work on the island."

Kara suddenly sparked to life at these words, and she gazed at the trio in awe. "A speedboat? When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," Misty replied. "Just a few minutes before we met you."

"Then you must've been on that boat that got hit by lightning!" Kara exclaimed.

"Lightning?" Lola echoed with confusion, dropping her fork with a clatter.

Ash swallowed his food quickly, surprised by the question. "Yeah! Only…I don't think we got hit. We don't really know what happened."

"You saw us?" Brock asked.

Kara nodded awkwardly. "Yeah. Mankey and I were watching you from shore. We both saw it."

Lola was in a state of utter shock. "Oh that's _terrible! _Was anyone hurt? Are you all alright?"

"As far as we know," Brock said blandly.

"Did you see everything, Kara?" Misty urged her on. The red-haired girl was leaning closer in her chair. "What happened to the boat?"

Kara glanced down in thought. "It was hard to tell," she admitted then. "It all happened so fast, but…I thought I saw a big flash of light over the boat just before it got hit."

Ash blinked. "_Before_ the lightning?"

"Yeah," Kara went on. "At least I _think_ it was before. It didn't look like anything from the storm. The flash…was _blue_. It covered the whole boat right before the bolt hit. I never saw anything like it before."

For a moment, nobody said anything. Kara was perplexed by her retelling, and Ash, Brock, and Misty were all stunned to hear such an eerie account of their incident. Even Pikachu and Togepi had refrained from their quiet chatting on the floor to listen to the story. The strange silence crawled on for just a second longer, until Brock finally decided to break the tension.

"Well it couldn't have been anything _that_ unusual. Lightning does all sorts of crazy things in a storm."

"Maybe you're right," Ash added, a little less certain. "The boat was probably just glowing from the shock."

Misty, however, was not so keen to dismiss the strange phenomenon. "What shock? We never even got hit with anything."

"Are you sure you're all alright?" Lola asked again with a little more concern in her voice than before.

"We're fine," Misty confirmed. "The lightning didn't get us."

"Then what could've happened?" Brock said to her. "There was a flash and everything! Maybe it was just a _little_ bolt that didn't do any damage."

"Maybe," Kara said dully, sitting back in thought. It was a pitiful conclusion, but it was a conclusion nonetheless, and they could reach no other. It would have to do. A second later, Lola's unease won over, and she promptly made an announcement.

"Well that's it." She looked at each of her dinner guests. "There's a supply ship coming to the island in less than a week. If you three can't afford a place to stay, then you'll just stay here until it arrives. It's too dangerous out there without a roof over your heads!"

Ash, Brock, and Misty gazed up at their host, dumbfounded by this statement. It sounded more like an order than an offer, but it was an order that all three were willing to follow.

"I…guess we could stay," Brock stammered.

"You will!" Lola replied, and the matter was settled.

By now, though, Ash's desires for food and a warm bed seemed to have deserted him. There was something about Kara's story that made him uneasy, and it wasn't the mystery behind that blue light, but rather the familiarity that surrounded it. A flash of blue…somehow, in the darkest corner of his mind, he wanted—almost _needed_—to believe that he had encountered such a force before in his life. He stared lifelessly down at his rice as he wrestled with the thought, still unable to conquer it and answer his questions.

"Maybe it was just the lightning bolt," he murmured to himself. "Or maybe it was something else."

The meal went on in silence.

…………………

Fragments of moonlight peered through the windows as Giovanni sat in his headquarters. His steely eyes were focused on the wide television screen in front of him, studying the brief but rather pleasing film clip as it played over and over again. The small boat being tossed in the waves, then the jagged bolt of lightning shooting down from the sky, and finally, the bright blue "shield" that appeared over the vessel just in time to fend off the wicked blow.

"It has to be Mewtwo," Agent 009's voice said anxiously over the intercom. "No other Pokémon could do this. Not this fast."

"Patience, 009," the Team Rocket boss said with a smirk. "Your work is not over yet. I need more proof than this; I want to be absolutely sure that our friend is on that island before taking any rash action."

The agent sounded somewhat disappointed by this unsatisfied response. "Yes, sir. I'll continue to monitor Mew in the mean time. I have reason to believe it'll lead me to the clone though."

Giovanni was a statue as he continued to watch the film clip. "See that it does. If you can show me the creature, I will send my fleet to Ivory Island without delay."

She hesitated. "How will we be able to capture it, sir? If Mewtwo destroyed the lab on New Island _and_ our old headquarters, it could wipe out our entire fleet."

"Leave that to me when the time comes, Agent 009," the boss said coolly.

"Yes, sir," she said again, and with that, she was gone. The film resumed playing for another minute.

Beside its master's chair, the Persian tilted its head curiously and stared up at the shadowy face as if to question it.

Giovanni sensed those catlike eyes on him, and smiled, never taking his eyes off of the television screen.

"I have trained this Pokémon for some time," he assured his pet. "I know its weakness."

--

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(Short chapter. I'll have the next one up ASAP.)


	7. Startling Discovery

(Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Warner Brothers and the creators in Japan)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter VII**

"This is a pokéball."

Kara carefully held the red and white orb out to her little friend, and Mankey leaned closer to sniff at it. An infinite curiosity glimmered in those orange eyes as the pig-monkey reached out then to feel the smooth shiny surface.

"Just don't touch this white button here," its human friend warned. "You don't want to see it from the inside."

Heeding the advice, her furry student picked the ball up with both hands and held it away at a respectful distance as the study resumed. Ash was particularly pleased by this display of caution, as memories of the last Mankey to come in contact with one of his pokéballs crept uncomfortably back into mind.

It was the next morning. Feeling cramped inside the suddenly crowded house and wanting to explore their surroundings like the adventurers they all were, Ash, Kara, Brock, Misty, and their assortment of pokémon had journeyed into the forest several hours ago. They were stopped to rest at the moment, and while they sat under the trees, the smaller of the two island natives had decided to show their three visitors the intent interest it'd failed to display yesterday evening.

Brock smiled as he observed Mankey's eternal awe of the capturing device. "Look at that," he mused. "It's like it's never seen a pokéball before."

"Mankey hasn't," Kara replied.

The others looked over at her with surprise. "Then how'd you catch it?" Ash asked, puzzled.

The brown-haired girl laughed. "I didn't catch him. Mankey's a wild pokémon. He just likes to visit me all the time. Don't you, Mankey?"

The hairy creature nodded, wiggling its flat nose as it grunted a cheerful answer.

"That's pretty impressive to make friends with a pokémon you didn't have to capture first," Misty said. "But then again, we're always running around so much that we don't really get a chance to try it."

Kara paused slightly at this, but covered her thoughts with a smile as she fingered her seashell necklace. "Mankey doesn't belong to anybody but himself."

No sooner did she say this than the pig-monkey scampered up to Ash and held the pokéball out for its owner. Ash nodded as he graciously took back the sphere.

"Thanks." Then he leaned forward to hook it back onto his belt. As he did, however, he failed to see the hint of playful mischief switch on in Mankey's eye.

Pikachu spotted the suspicious look and tried to alert its master, but the round pokémon was too quick to stop. The next thing Ash knew, Mankey was bounding into the trees above him, and that treasured red Pokémon League ball cap was no longer securely seated on his disheveled head.

"Hey!" he shouted and stood up. "Bring that back!" But the thief was already gone.

Kara stumbled to her feet as well. "Oh no! He does this with my hat all the time. Come on!" Then with a wave to Ash, they both were off in hot pursuit of the kidnapped hat. Pikachu called to the pair anxiously at first, but when it got no reply, the little yellow mouse creature hurried after them. Brock and Misty remained behind, awkwardly watching as the chase disappeared into the trees.

Misty adjusted her hold on Togepi. "Mankey and Primeape really like those Pokémon League hats, don't they?"

"Maybe we can teach them to sign postcards," Brock thought out loud.

…………………

Mew was still exploring. Everything here seemed so different now. The trees had grown taller, fuller, and the ponds and streams had grown deeper. How long had it been since her last visit to this island? Time was a concept that the little pink creature no longer relied on, having no need or desire for it, and so she only knew that her absence had been a long one. The growing trees were the only clocks she needed.

Zipping left, right, up, down, twirling and looping through the branches. Life was fun, and Ivory Island was where life could always be found. Mew dipped under a cluster of emerald leaves and flew to the left. She stopped only once to glance around her, taking in her current surroundings, then continued on again.

High above her, Mankey stopped and stared.

What had that pink thing been? In all the little fighting pokémon's long years, not once could it ever recall seeing such an odd creature. The mysterious shape had looked like a cat, or perhaps some other graceful tree-dweller, and yet the creature had not leapt through the forest, but _flown_. It had _flown_, just as well as any bird, and with a swiftness that Mankey had never seen matched.

Its curiosity snared, the pig-monkey gripped the borrowed baseball cap in its mouth and pursued the tiny mystery.

Up, down, left, right, over the branches and under the leaves. Twigs snapped as Mankey darted past them, and in its anxiousness to reach the "pink thing," it barely noticed all the noise they were making. Hearing the careless sounds, Mew stopped again to listen.

Mankey couldn't have asked for anything better, because her hesitation gave it the time it needed to catch up. With a final kick of its powerful hind legs, it sailed through the air and landed squarely on a slender branch just above her. Intrigued, the funny round pokémon gawked down at its objective. There she was.

For several more seconds, the two creatures remained like this, with Mew hovering in place below Mankey, suspicious but not entirely sure that she was being watched. She glanced around her just one more time before deciding that nothing was going to lunge out of the brush, and then the calm and carefree disposition finally returned to her. Seeing that the "pink thing's" nervousness was gone, Mankey carefully lowered itself closer, grasping the wobbling branch with its prehensile tail. The stranger seemed playful enough, maybe even friendly. Perhaps it could—

_CRACK!_

Both pokémon looked up at the sound, and Mankey felt a sickening knot form in its stomach just an instant before its flimsy support broke free from the mother tree. A loud, sharp cry from above gave Mew the answer she'd been looking for. However, she was also given a visual clue a split second later as the thrashing ball of fur tumbled down at her with a momentum that couldn't be dodged.

Not even by teleporting.

"_MAAAAAANKEEEEEEYYY!!_"

"_MEEEEEEEEEW!!_"

_WHUMPF!_

Mankey didn't even think twice. As soon as it dropped onto that fuzzy little creature, it twisted around and grabbed hold of her for dear life. Mew's response was a panicked one, and the psychic cat suddenly began looping and spiraling in a dizzy, comical frenzy quite uncharacteristic of her. And all the while, both of them continued shrieking.

"_MANKEY! MANKEY!_"

"_MEW MEW MEW MEW!_"

It wasn't long before their cries reached Ash, Kara, and Pikachu, who were only a short distance away from the scene. Pikachu was the first to hear the commotion, and when it stopped to listen, its human friends stopped as well.

"What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash asked his yellow friend. Kara jumped when she sensed the ruckus as well.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

Ash paused to listen. "…Yeah. It sounds like Mankey and…something else."

With a tense look at each other, the three hurried in the direction of the screams, the silliness of their chase now gone.

They hadn't been the only ones to overhear that terrified babbling.

At that moment, Mew finally regained her senses and remembered her element. The psychic pokémon arched her back like an angry cat, and with a flash of pink light, her struggling burden was tossed backwards into the air. Before Mankey could even begin to comprehend what had happened to it, a large bubble materialized below it to break the fall. With a single bounce on the rubbery surface, the struggling creature came to a sudden rest on top of the airy cushion. Now _it_ was the one to be observed in amusement.

Mew tilted her head once, studying her "attacker," then abruptly burst out giggling. A Mankey. That was what all the fuss had been about! How could she have been so silly, panicking over something so harmless? The curious tree-dweller bobbing in front of her was hardly the monster she'd envisioned a moment ago!

Even after seeing her cheerful display, Mankey was hesitant to calm itself. Friendly-looking or not, this giggling creature was still a complete mystery—if she could fly without wings and create these strange bubbles, there was no telling what _else_ she was capable of doing. Such a fearful thought was the total opposite of any fighting pokémon's aggressive instincts, but in this scenario, Mankey felt it was wise to ignore its usual temper and remain seated.

A second later, it was debating whether or not that decision had really been wise at all.

Just as quickly as the bubble had appeared, another form of psychic energy emerged onto the scene. Its presence was announced by a loud _ZAP!_ off to the left, and with a flash, a sizzling black sphere of energy shot out from the trees. It hit Mew's bubble square center, instantly bursting the delicate pink creation and causing a jolt that threw Mankey into the air once again. This time, however, the poor thing was caught by another being's power and suspended above the ground in an aura of blue light.

Mew immediately ceased her laughing and turned to face her newest arrival with calm recognition. This was not the first time an energy ball had burst one of her bubbles.

Stepping out from the shadows, Mewtwo greeted her with a grim face. "Mew."

"_Mew!_" was the reply.

The clone narrowed his eyes. "So, you have come back."

Mankey was beyond control. The first creature—the "pink thing"—had been humbling. She'd showed herself to possess a strength and power that put any other's to shame. But _this_ creature…this "gray thing" with its chilling voice and piercing, burning stare, was nothing short of fear's incarnation. Overwhelmed, the helpless pokémon finally tore its eyes away from the psychic monster and screamed.

Mewtwo never moved his gaze from his rival's, but listened to his hysterical captive with focused irritation. It was this same inane screeching, mixed with Mew's, that had stolen his attention a few minutes ago, shattering the lake's peaceful silence and interrupting another of his quiet reflections. Now he had followed the disturbing racket straight to its equally unpleasing source, and the witless beast was still wailing away at its heart's content. What a blathering fool this born pokémon was! Fortunately, it was a distraction that could easily be done away with…

But at that precise moment, Kara came barreling in with Ash and Pikachu, and when she saw Mankey caught in that blue light, fear couldn't hold her back.

"_STOP!_"

This cry earn Mewtwo's attention, and as he turned, he released his hold on Mankey in a second of confusion. The terrorized pig-monkey dropped to the ground at last and scrambled over to its human friend without another thought. Kara was too stunned by the sight before her to even regard her companion.

Ash was equally shocked. Two pokémon were standing in front of him, staring in silence. They couldn't have been more different in size and appearance at first, but the longer he gawked at them, the more alike they seemed to look. Both were catlike in shape, with thin builds and long narrow tails, and they each seemed to observe him and Kara with identical wisdom and sharpness. The boy was positive that he'd never seen these creatures before in his life, and yet, when he looked into the larger one's blazing purple eyes, he could swear he was being met with a gaze of recognition. The small pink pokémon was familiar as well, but he could not recall how.

But as overpowering as Ash's bewilderment was, Mewtwo's was ten times worse. The human girl was surprising enough to see here, but the sight of the boy was almost too much for the psychic cat to take in. It was _that_ boy; the dark-haired boy that he'd met on New Island so long ago. That same child was here on Ivory Island right now, gazing at him with awe and horror. There were _humans_ here.

"Humans…" Mewtwo whispered.

And just as he uttered this forbidden word, Ash, Kara, Mankey, and Pikachu all snapped out of their stupors as one, and took off running. They weren't followed.

For a long time, Mewtwo did nothing. He simply stood there, gazing at the empty spot where those two children had stood only seconds ago.

"There are…_humans_ on this island…"

It was the only thought he could complete, and so he thought it over and over again in his head, hoping that some other word would come to him soon to break the trance. But none did for some time.

Beside him, Mew tilted her head side to side, acting as though the encounter had no impact on her at all. Then she glanced down and softly chirped when she spied a large red and white object lying on the ground in front of her.

It was a baseball cap.

--

--


	8. The Investigations Begin

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter VIII**

The _Jerry's Place_ diner was rarely crowded during the day, and this afternoon was no exception. This was the main factor that Ash, Kara, Brock, and Misty took into account in their search for a quiet place to discuss the strange encounter, now that the woods were no longer as secure as they'd felt before. The four kids were huddled at a booth by the window, and Pikachu was perched with Mankey on the windowsill just outside.

"I've never seen anything like them before," Kara said, staring down at her flattening soda. "Even Mankey didn't know what they were."

"And I can't find anything about either of them in my pokédex," Ash added, puzzled. "At least not when I ask it about psychic pokémon."

"Maybe they're a new species," Misty offered.

"Or maybe they're not even pokémon at all," was Brock's suggestion. "But I'll bet they had something to do with stopping that lighting bolt from hitting the boat last night."

Ash frowned in thought and sat his little red device on the table. He stared at it for a moment, trying his best to recall the sketchy details. The two creatures had been similar in appearance, despite their obvious size difference, and he was sure that they were both of the psychic element. The small pink one had been hovering over the ground, a feat rarely achieved by wingless creatures, and the large gray and purple one had appeared to have special powers as well. After all, a Mankey couldn't just float in the air on its own…

Ash found his eyes wandering over to his pokédex once again. What were those two creatures? Where were they from, and how did they get to this tiny little island? How long had they been living in that shadowy paradise, undiscovered by the rest of the world, and why did he have the sinking intuition that he _had_ in fact discovered them somewhere before? The boy had so many questions to ask, and his only tool of reference had no answers. There had to be some other way to learn the truth.

He looked up at Kara just then. "Do you think anyone's seen them before us?" he asked. "Maybe they'd know something about those pokémon."

The girl shook her head without a pause. "No. This town is the only settlement on Ivory Island. If anybody'd made a discovery like this before, it would've been all over the place. There's no privacy here."

"Or private eyes, for that matter," Brock added flatly. "I can't believe those creatures were able to hide for as long as they have, especially if they caused that big of a scene over just one Mankey."

"Maybe they _haven't_ been hiding here that long," Misty suggested from across the table. "They could've just gotten here yesterday, for all we know."

"Well_ I _say we should find out more about them!" Ash said resolutely. "This is huge, and we might be the first people to know about it!"

"I agree," Kara nodded. "I want to know why those creatures went after Mankey. They could be dangerous to other pokémon too."

"But what else can we do?" Misty asked. "Ash's pokédex doesn't know anything about them, and we probably won't find them in the woods again after what happened today."

Kara sat up eagerly. "How about the Pokémon Research Center? It's not far from here."

Ash blinked. "The Pokémon Research Center? What's that?"

"It's a hands-on museum of all the pokémon species in the Johto Region," Kara explained. "I haven't been in it in years! I'll bet _anything_ we can find something there!"

Misty and Ash were both keen on this idea, but Brock was still a bit skeptical. "So we'll find information about two pokémon that nobody's ever seen before…in a public museum?"

"No," Kara replied, "but we might find something about them in the 'Unidentified Additions' section. It's an entire room about unknown pokémon sightings."

"Works for me," Brock concluded.

Ash was beaming with hope. "And me."

The four of them agreed and returned to their drinks, feeling much more enthusiastic than before. Their eagerness, though, was nothing compared to that of the elderly couple seated in the booth behind them. Once the pair was sure it was safe to talk, they leaned closer in a strategic huddle. A wicked idea gleamed in the old woman's green eyes; she was Jessie in disguise, and the "old man" sitting across from her was none other than James. Meowth, who'd been hiding underneath the booth table, sprang up onto the seat beside James when his partners began talking.

"Did you hear _that_?" Jessie hissed. "The twerps just made a _glowing_ discovery!"

"One of psychic proportions," James added with greedy glee. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Jessie?"

"Are you thinking that turning those two pokémon over to the boss will get us…"

"…_Teleported_ to a juicy promotion?" Meowth finished.

James flashed goofy grin. "You read my mind!"

"Then let's levitate out of here and get to work," Jessie said, getting down to business. "We'll need a plan that's perfect if we want to nab them."

"How _thoughtful_," Meowth commented slyly, sneaking in a final pun.

"It's official then," James said, and the scheming trio dropped their voices to whispers as they cheered.

"_Team Rocket's hatching plots again!_"

…………………

Noon rolled in uneasily that day, and when it did, Mewtwo found himself no less disturbed by his encounter than when it'd first occurred. Once again at the top of his mountain sanctuary, the psychic cat gazed out over the calming sea as he struggled to collect his thoughts. Mew hovered calmly beside him, bobbing playfully up and down as she did so.

Her clone ignored her. "So there are indeed humans on Ivory Island," he mused darkly. "And not mere ignorant travelers, but residents and pokémon trainers. And the boy who has stayed in my memory is among them." He narrowed his eyes. "More of his kind will come, and they will scourge our home in search of their prize."

Mew decided to jump in with a quiet remark at this point. "_Mew mewmew mew. Mew mew mew!_"

Mewtwo frowned inwardly, understanding her words. He could not prove his claim, and the two children he'd seen today hadn't appeared to be dangerous. The boy, he knew well enough not to suspect, and the girl had seemed chiefly concerned about her Mankey, but the horrified looks they'd given the psychic creature were reason enough to still feed his lingering uneasiness. That girl was libel to panic and tell others what she'd seen, and that boy no longer remembered how serious the clones' situation was. Reluctantly, Mewtwo's thoughts returned to the pink pokémon floating at his side.

"You believe I am wrong, and that we are safe here?" he said to her indirectly. "That the humans who dwell on this island mean us no harm?"

Mew looked up at the sky. "_Mew mew_."

"I will not hear such foolish things. Their seclusion from the world cannot separate them from selfish human instinct. I will not trust them."

"_Mew mew mewmew mew mew_."

"—Nor will I believe that they have settled here to escape from that selfishness, as I have. Though I suppose all who travel to this isolated place do so for some dire purpose."

Mew purred her name once more in agreement and glanced absent-mindedly to her left.

Mewtwo's tone and expression suddenly grew even darker. "And what dire purpose has brought _you_ here?"

He turned as he asked this venomous question, but as his eyes came to rest on the place where Mew had been, he stopped. She was gone—disappeared.

For a moment, the psychic clone continued to glower at that empty spot in disgust. Again, she was taunting him, just as she did in his dreams every night—again, she was leaving him with questions unanswered. Mewtwo finally scowled and brought his gaze back to the waves and the small reassurance that they offered. Still, his thoughts remained bound to Mew.

"Whatever ill manner of goal it is," he warned, clenching his fists, "it will not destroy mine."

--

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(I know, it was so rotten of me not to update for so long. I wanted to finish another really long story before May 25th , and the buckets of school work that were being dumped on me weren't giving me any more time to work on this. I promise, there won't be any more four-month breaks between chapters again. Sorry, folks.)


	9. Searching for Answers

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter IX**

The Pokémon Research Center was even more breathtaking than Kara remembered it.

A set of glass doors bid the four children entrance, and as soon as they crossed the threshold and set foot on the gray marble floor, a powerful granite statue of Lugia towered over their heads, its jaws parted wide in an eternally silent roar. Ash smiled in fond memory, amazed to be greeted by such a striking likeness of the legendary creature. Then they continued forward into the shadowy main room, taking in the atmosphere of its sparse amber-glowing wall lamps.

The main room, like the building itself, was perfectly round. Along the curving wall were eleven doors, and each was labeled with a sign just above it. In the center of the room was a free-standing map of Ivory Island, made of a thick pane of dark tinted glass that stood a head taller than a man. The island's image was etched into the glass in stark white lines, and its every detail was accented with tiny glowing lights of blue and green. A small patch of red on one shore indicated the location of the isolated town. The curious foursome paused to admire the glowing display, then turned and made their way to the first doorway on their left at Kara's request.

"There're over 230 species of pokémon in the Johto Region," the girl explained expertly. "And 56 of them live on and around Ivory Island. Not exclusively, of course."

Seated atop Ash's head, Pikachu twitched its pointed ears with wonder. A sign above the doorway read "Aquatic Residents," and as soon as the yellow mouse's human companion stepped into the mysterious lair, it saw why the circle-shaped room had merited its title. The walls were swirling with countless shades of blue, and a domed, crystal-looking light in the center of the ceiling cast an extra wavy appearance onto the perfect color scheme. A single row of flat television monitors displaying pokémon hung all around the room, accompanied by silvery filing cabinets. A ring of reading tables stood in the middle of the floor.

"Each station tells you about a different pokémon," Kara explained. "There's a speaker box on all of the screens that gives some basic information, and then you can read more for yourself from the files."

"So it's like a library _and_ a museum," Ash summarized curiously.

"It's amazing," their young guide confirmed.

"But why haven't you been in it for so long?" Misty asked then.

Kara smiled bashfully to herself. "I'm more of a field researcher, I guess." The girl turned and walked over to another door in the watery room. "Come on. The room we're looking for is all the way on the other side. They're all connected together."

After this was said, the three visitors followed her into the next research room, which was dedicated solely to electric pokémon. Ash grinned at the exhibit, which was painted in jagged shades of yellow and black, and had to hurry after his friends when a Pikachu station slowed his pace. Their casual tour went around the building through ten more elemental rooms—grass, poison, fire, fighting, ice, ground, flying, steel, psychic, and darkness—before it came to a halt inside the round "Unidentified Additions" area. From there, the inquisitive foursome set to work.

Brock pulled out a file and thumbed through it. "How about this?" he asked. "There's a report in here of a small yellow-and-white creature seen flying over Mahogany Town five years ago. Its shape was unrecognizable and it appeared to be glowing." Enclosed with the written file was a hazy black-and-white photograph of a tiny sprite-like figure in the air above a chain of mountain peaks.

Ash shook his head. "I don't think that's it. The pokémon we saw weren't yellow, and this one looks like it has wings."

"It's still suspicious," the other boy commented lamely. Beside them, Kara was buried up to her elbows in another filing cabinet drawer, happily paging through the endless supply of information inside. Only Misty seemed to be paying any attention to the displays mounted on the wall.

There were no television screens in this room; only large paintings and colored photographs. The latter of the two were few in number, and were as good in quality as the blurry image Brock had found. Still, she found it amazing that any of these mysteries had been captured on film at all.

In her arms, Togepi gazed over at the photograph off to Misty's left, and as if sensing the significance behind the image, the youngster let out an exited squeal. Its red-haired owner started at the sound and whirled around, and sure enough, her blue eyes came to a halt on the attention-grabbing picture.

Misty blinked and stepped closer. "What's this?"

"What?" Ash asked.

Misty pointed. "This one here."

The others hurried across the room to crowd around the image with her. The photograph was dark, showing the cloudy blue-gray night sky and the silhouette of a familiar-looking mountain. Tiny stars dotted the clouds, glowing in perfect contrast to the night, but as Ash and Kara squinted closer, something strange began to show itself to them, a mysterious quality to the stars that would not have been noticeable to anybody at first.

Kara's eyes grew huge. "They're blue."

Ash was equally awed by this discovery, and he lowered his gaze to the bold white numbers that'd been printed in the lower right corner of the picture: the date it'd been taken.

"It's less than two years old!" he breathed. His gloved hands flew to the top drawer of the filing cabinet in front of him, and he began rummaging through the pale brown folders.

Brock leaned in over Ash's shoulder. "The report should have the same date."

"Look towards the front," Kara said eagerly. "That's where they have the more recent ones."

"_Pika!_"

Ash's finger stopped on the tab he'd been hunting, and he nearly jumped straight out of his shoes at the sight of it. "I've got it!" he exclaimed.

"Got what?"

All six heads, pokémon and human alike, snapped up at the sound of the voice and turned to see its owner. Kara failed to recognize the mystery speaker, but Ash, Brock, and Misty's eyes all lit up when they saw the short blonde girl standing behind them.

"Domino!" Misty said brightly. "What're you doing here?"

The young boatwoman smiled. "I'm a pokémon researcher," she said stylishly. "Where else would I be?"

"Pokémon researcher?" Kara echoed curiously. The others had vaguely mentioned a girl with that profession at dinner last night.

"She studies pokémon for a living," Brock decided to answer a little too dreamily. "She goes to great lengths for them!"

"Said it once, and I'd say it again," the new arrival confirmed. She stepped closer to the group then, observing their joyous find. "So what do you guys have there?"

Ash blushed a little and looked down at the file. "I'm not sure."

"Read it then," Misty said. Glancing around at his growing audience, Ash readily complied.

"May twenty-fifth," he read aloud. "Two o'clock a.m. A number of unidentified glowing shapes were seen approaching Ivory Island from the north. The sole witness, a visitor who also captured a photograph of the phenomena, claims that the shapes numbered roughly twenty-five and disappeared as they were passing over the top of the island's famous dormant volcano. There is no confirmation that these mysterious objects were pokémon, but if this is indeed fact, their most likely element would be psychic."

Domino's eyes darted over to the picture on the wall beside them with a newfound intrigue. "Is that what this is?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Misty said, baffled.

Kara's face was absolutely glowing. "There's unidentified pokémon right here on Ivory Island! And they've been seen before! I can't believe this wasn't all over the town when they added this report."

For the first time, Domino suddenly regarded the local girl fully. "_Before_?" she echoed oddly. "You mean this sighting isn't the only one?"

"Ash and Kara said they saw two creatures like these ones in the woods this morning," Brock explained.

Domino looked borderline hysterical. "This _morning?_ Where? I've gotta see this!" She clenched her fists excitedly and gawked up at the others like an overjoyed Growlithe.

Ash spoke up then. "We saw them in the woods by Kara's house. It's only about ten minutes from here, out that way." He pointed in the general direction of Kara's home.

The blonde girl stood up straight then. "I'll have to make a note of that," she said thoughtfully. "I won't get to check it out until tomorrow; I've still got some information to send back to my office."

"Where do you work?" Misty asked.

Domino also gestured in a vague direction. "The Tropical Pokémon Association Center; T-PAC. It's a small facility in the Orange Islands."

"Sounds important," Brock observed.

"It is," Domino nodded solemnly. "We focus on protecting rare and exotic species worldwide. That's why I always have a speedboat at my disposal—it's not exactly a stay-at-home job."

The others nodded. Feeling that she'd been away from her work for too long, Domino turned and walked towards the door.

"Well, good luck with your research," she said cheerfully. "It must be exciting to see something so rare in person like that!"

"Not at the time," Kara said softly.

Domino laughed. "You won't be scared of pokémon like them forever," she said, barely looking back. "Eventually, you'll learn to appreciate them for what they're really worth."

With that, she was gone from the room, leaving, Ash, Kara, Brock, Misty, and their pokémon friends alone to stare at the mind-boggling picture once more.

………………

It was happening again.

It was dark this time. The stars were zipping past him in the night sky, and below him, the treetops were doing likewise. He was moving fast, zipping across the canopy with an immeasurable haste and focusing his gaze intently on an unseen target in the far distance.

Or more accurately, _she_ was.

Mewtwo knew he was dreaming, as he always did. It was the same scenario as every other one that had haunted him since his unnatural birth: he was hurrying towards something, never knowing what it was, and he was being accompanied by Mew. He twitched restlessly in his sleep.

And just as he did, she made her entrance into the nightmare.

She looked more white than pink in the moonlight, like a ghost rising up from the depths of the sea to stalk him. She was beneath the trees, swiftly rising, and in another heartbeat, her tiny white figure shot out from between the clumps of green without disturbing a single leaf. Mew's sprightly shape flew tauntingly past him as she continued her rapid ascent, and she came to a stop directly above him. There, she hovered, gazing back down at the clone with her deep blue eyes.

"_Mew?_" she chirped patiently, and before Mewtwo could even attempt to bellow a reply, he was blinded by a flash of pink light that whizzed by just above his head. It'd taken him by surprise, and in his dazed moment, he lost control of his fragile hold on the moment and felt himself tumbling.

A split second later, Mewtwo sat up, fully awake and back in the pit of his volcanic sanctuary. He growled and stood with a sharp flick of his tail.

"What do these dreams mean?" he demanded angrily to the moon's silvery face. He was lost in his thoughts, and was making his desperate call to the only being that would hear it at this lifeless hour.

"Why do they _haunt_ me this way? Am I truly nothing more than another's shadow, with no _identity_? With no _purpose_?!"

He'd shouted his last words, and when the ominous white sphere failed to respond, he dropped his head sullenly to glare at the ground.

"_What is my destiny?_"

--

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(Just for the heck of it, the pokémon that Brock read about in that first report from Mahogany Town was Jirachi.)

Soon to be updated!


	10. Dark Confrontation

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter X**

Mew could see her target just ahead.

Once more darting through the branches, she swooped upwards and came to a graceful stop in front of a gap in the clusters of leaves. Calmly, she peered through the makeshift window and observed the lonely little house sitting just beyond it. Satisfied with her find, the little pink creature glanced behind her, summoning her powers again. A second later, a small object drifted towards her, glowing bright pink.

With that, she turned her attention back to the house and sprang playfully forward.

…………………

Ash had been unable to rest since his startling discovery that morning, and this ailment was becoming all the more apparent as he lay face-up in his sleeping bag on Kara's living room floor. His eyes were locked on the ceiling directly above him, and the young trainer had no intention of moving them away from that spot for the rest of the night; thoughts of the past kept him from doing so.

He had to have seen those two creatures before—he was positive. Ash knew that he and his friends'd had more supernatural adventures and encounters with legendary pokémon than most experts could've dreamed to, but never had he come across a situation like this. He had no memory of either of the two psychics, and yet he'd somehow recognized them. Ash frowned and finally blinked his tired eyes. His and Kara's discovery was bizarre enough on its own—he didn't need a case of Déjà vu on top of it.

"Can't sleep?"

The quiet voice was enough to snap Ash out of his trance, and he quickly sat up to see Kara framed in the doorway across from him. The two stayed this way for a brief moment, staring deeply at each other, then the boy managed to find his voice and respond.

"I guess not."

Kara came over and sat timidly at the foot of Ash's sleeping bag. "Me either. I keep thinking about those pokémon."

Ash blinked. "What about them?"

She shrugged. "I just can't believe they've been living here all along and no body's ever seen them before. How is that? It's such a small island."

"Maybe you haven't seen as much of it as you thought," Ash suggested lamely.

Kara lowered her gaze, and glumness crept into her voice. "Or maybe I haven't seen anything at all."

Ash couldn't explain it, but somehow, the way she said those words made him feel guilty. He studied Kara for a minute, watching as she reached up to fidget with her seashell necklace, then looked away as he pretended to see something interesting on the floor. He supposed a girl who'd lived her entirely life in one town really _hadn't_ seen anything at all.

He was debating whether or not to comment on this dreary statement, but a sharp call from Pikachu interrupted his thoughts. Together, Ash and Kara looked up and saw the tiny yellow pokémon crouched by the back door, trying to poke its small, sniffing nose through the space above the floor. Curious, its trainer stood up.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"_Pika! Pika-pi!_"

"What's wrong?" The boy went over to his yellow companion then, followed by Kara. The two came to a stop beside Pikachu, watching it anxiously nudge its tiny snout under the door.

"There's something outside," the girl said. Ash stared at Pikachu for another second then lifted his eyes to the knob.

"But what?"

Before anyone could attempt to offer an idea, he reached out to twist the silver-colored handle, and carefully pulled the door open. To his surprise, there was nobody there.

But then…

"_Pika!_"

Ash and Kara both lowered their gazes, then gasped in unison as they saw what Pikachu'd alerted them to.

Lying on the porch mat just outside, perfectly intact and undamaged, Ash's formerly missing Pokémon League cap glowed in the moonlight.

…………………

Mew watched the two children from her place in the trees, then seeing the dark-haired boy bend down to reclaim his hat, she turned and zipped calmly away.

That made one success.

But as she flew off, darting just above the canopy in her playful retreat, a lone figure spied her from its place in the shadows far below.

Agent 009 smirked triumphantly to herself and lifted her wrist communicator to speak.

"Follow it, Murkrow," was all she said.

And at that moment, high above the trees and the tiny psychic pokémon, a small glint of metal and a blinking red light could be seen, and 009's trusted black bird took off in pursuit—with her Poké-cam strapped securely to its neck.

As soon as the front door was closed again, the Team Rocket agent emerged from her hiding place behind Kara's house. She squinted up at the nearly invisible Murkrow for a second, then lowered her eyes to greedily watch the tiny video of Mew playing on her wrist device.

Perhaps it was time to contact her boss again.

…………………

The lake at Mt. Ivory's crater was as silent as the dead when Mew made her return, a sure sign that all of its residents were fast asleep. The small psychic cat's notion was proven even further when she spotted the softly snoring hulks of Charizard and Venusaur off to her left. Seeing this, Mew continued forward more quietly.

But her efforts for silence were instantly dashed when a tall gray figure stepped forward, boisterously making his presence known.

"Where have you been?" Mewtwo barked hotly. If his anger startled Mew, she showed no sign of it, and serenely came to a stop to blink at her clone.

"_Mewmew mew_," she replied simply, then turned to gaze at her tail.

The other psychic narrowed his purple eyes. "And what is your plan? To lure children here with frivolous acts of charity? And what then do you believe will happen? Do you think they will speak nothing of this place to their elders? That they will keep our sanctuary a _secret?_"

His three-fingered hands were clenched tightly into fists, and his anger increased tenfold as Mew began glancing nonchalantly at her surroundings as he spoke, acknowledging everything in her sight except Mewtwo. She was ignoring him. Always ignoring him.

Just then, Mew flipped upside-down to peek at the other psychic from behind her dangling feet. "_Mew?_"

Mewtwo stepped closer, his fierce gaze never faltering. "I have no time for innocence. My clones cannot be found. If word of their presence here escapes, it will find its way back to the very man who sought to control me! Do you not realize that?! _Or is THAT your plan?!_"

A short distance away, his shouting reached the ears of the clone Pikachu, and the little yellow creature immediately awoke. Cautiously, it rose to its hind legs to peer at its leader, hiding behind the sleeping Rhyhorn as it did so.

Across the crater floor, Mew was undisturbed.

"_Mew mewmew mew, mew mew mewmewmew? Mew mew mew?_"

Her clone understood the words plainly enough. She was questioning his feelings towards the dark-haired boy. Did Mewtwo no longer see him as a trust-worthy ally? Did that boy's sacrifice on New Island mean nothing to Mewtwo now?

Unable to form a response, the taller psychic fretfully threw the matter aside.

"My worry lies firstly with the leader of Team Rocket," he told Mew sternly. "It will not satisfy his greed to reclaim only me; he will want more, and my clones shall suffer for it." At that moment, a hint of powerlessness pushed through the barrier and was heard in his voice. "They will be destroyed. Tortured, mutilated. Giovanni will use them for experiments, and they will not survive. Or worse…they will regret it if they do."

Mewtwo's eyes had strayed downward as he'd said these last horrible words, but as soon as they'd been spoken, he glared heatedly at Mew once again.

"Do you know what death is?" he asked her nastily. "Do you know what it is like to fear that pain and torment, and to care for another enough to want to spare them from it?"

The little pink creature simply cocked her head, saying nothing.

Mewtwo sneered. "You do not." He took a final step closer, lowering his voice to a threat. "Do not carelessly risk everything we have, just because _you_ have nothing to lose."

At that, Mew turned upright once more. "_Mew! Mew mewmew mew?_" She paused for a second, then made a guess. "…_Mew?_"

On the ground, Mewtwo stiffened at her crippling question: _Why? What are you afraid of? …Answers?_

At last, he tore his gaze away from her, and hissed in a voice thick with pain and anger, "Leave me."

From its hiding place, the clone Pikachu gazed in awe and sadness at its stricken master, unable to see anything else.

Mewtwo was defeated.

…………………

He had been right all along.

Seated in the comfort of his private helicopter, Giovanni stared smugly down at the video playing in front of him. Two pokémon, one large, one small, engaged in conversation as they stood in a volcanic crater. Both were cat-like in appearance, and there was not a doubt in the Rocket leader's mind that both of them were psychic.

Just then, Agent 009's voice returned to comment.

"Mew and Mewtwo are definitely on Ivory Island together. And look." The image switched to show a group of other pokémon, varying in species and scattered across the surface of the crater, all fast asleep. "They have _more_ clones with them."

The glint in Giovanni's eye was one of pure wickedness, and his chilling smile stretched even further as he saw this addition. After a pause, 009 spoke again, even more eager than before.

"Sir? What should I do?"

The boss finally spoke. "Stay on the island and continue to observe them. Learn whatever else you can and report it to me immediately. You have done well, Agent 009. We shall begin the operation."

He paused momentarily to single out the tiny gray-and-purple shape that was Mewtwo.

"My fleet will arrive in three days."

--

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Soon to be updated!


	11. Cornered by a Plan

(Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize from a certain TV show, video game, or movie

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XI**

It knew it shouldn't be doing this.

The Pikachu clone forced its dread away and focused on its task again. It knew what it was doing was dangerous, something foolish and unjustifiable that Mewtwo would never have allowed had he known of it…and yet somehow, the little yellow creature knew that it had to be done.

"_Pika?_" it called down softly.

Far below it, the Bulbasaur clone gave a negative response. There were still several meters to go before it would touch down on the next ledge. The tiny mouse clone frowned a bit at this, then tightened its grip further on the Bulbasaur's two thick green vines. Behind the Pikachu were the Squirtle, Meowth, Vulpix, and Psyduck clones, and they were all sharing the weight as they lowered their grassy companion down the steep slope.

At last, the Bulbasaur clone's feet came to rest on solid rock, and it announced their success. Its fellow clones then released their grip on the whip-like vines, and with that, the task continued. One by one, the five of them climbed down on the strong plant fibers as though they were descending on a rope. The only member of their misfit group that had any trouble with this plan was the Psyduck clone, who—due to a sudden, overwhelming headache—was completely oblivious to its current situation and unable to grasp the concept of climbing. Its closest friend, the Vulpix, solved this snag with a call down to the Bulbasaur. Then the little fox scrambled down the left vine, allowing the right one to grab its bumbling bird companion around the waist and carry it down with ease.

Ten minutes later, all six of them were safely on the ground, gazing up in wonder at the towering Mt. Ivory.

The Pikachu clone observed the lip of their hidden crater home with reticence. It had heard its master's conversation with Mew the previous night, and although it cared dearly for Mewtwo and the protection that he gave in turn, his mysterious opponent had made a powerful argument. They had all seen that dark-haired boy's selfless act on New Island. Every single pokémon in that stadium had seen him give his life to save theirs. He could be trusted, and yet Mewtwo had become so overtaken by the betrayal of humanity to admit this. The little electric mouse had only heard part of its master's fiery debate, and Mew was not easy to predict, but it was clear enough that Mewtwo had ordered her to cease with her plans. The clones' protector had cast away their only link to the outside world, and so the Pikachu had decided that the responsibility to contact this boy had now fallen into its own tiny yellow hands.

And the clone Pikachu knew that it absolutely had to accept this challenge—for its psychic master's sake.

Pulling its gaze away from the volcano's peak, the electric mouse set off on its journey with its comrades in toe.

…………………

"This is the way we went yesterday," Ash said. "At least…I _think_ it is."

"We were only on this pathway for a few minutes," Kara added. "But I don't remember when we left it."

"_Mank mankey_," the furry pokémon commented darkly as it perched on her shoulder. Somehow, the memory of the encounter's exact location was fuzzy in its mind as well.

"_Pika pi…_" Ash's own companion added.

Behind Ash and Kara, Misty and Brock could only offer a handful of pitiful suggestions; neither one of them had had the luxury—or misfortune—of witnessing the incident in person.

"Did you recognize any of the trees?" Brock asked.

"Not really," Ash answered.

"How can you recognize a tree?" Misty added with helpless frustration. "They all look the same when you're running past them!"

"Not if something's climbing on one," Brock replied.

Kara nodded. "Or if something—"

And then just like that, the ground disappeared.

"AAAAAAAAAAHH!"

WHUMPH!

It'd all happened too fast to take in. One moment, Ash had been walking on solid earth with his friends, and the next, they were all falling as if a floor had opened up beneath them. Suddenly, a split second after their gut-wrenching drop, the startled group—pokémon and all—came to an abrupt halt, landing in a pile of arms and legs.

Dazed, Misty chose to finish Kara's thought.

"…_Falls_ out of it."

Ash groaned and sat up. "What happened?"

"I dunno," Kara added uselessly. "It looks like we fell into a hole or something. But I didn't see one anywhere when we were walking." She removed her orange cap and brushed off the dusty soil.

"We must've stepped over a tunnel," Misty offered.

But Brock, recognizing the widely practiced and unavoidable ploy, had figured it out. "Or stepped into a trap."

"A trap?" Kara echoed. "By who?"

"By _who?_" a dastardly voice suddenly echoed from above the pit.

"_Guess_ who!" a second purred.

"By me an' dese two!" a higher-pitched third voice chimed in, completing the rhyme.

A second later, three familiar and unwelcome heads appeared over the edge of the pit trap. "_Yoo_-_hoo_!" they chirped in unison.

"It seems the twerps have some new _recruits!_" commented a woman with long, maroon-colored hair.

"Perhaps we should tell them we're in _cahoots!_" a purple-haired man added. And then, the nebbish trio launched into their infamous, over-rehearsed introduction.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our—"

But before Team Rocket could proceed with their beloved motto, one of their captives chose to voice its disapproval by generously launching a rock up at them. The stone hit James square in the face, earning an agonized squeak and sending him toppling to the ground in front of a startled Jessie.

Down in the pit, the pitcher, Mankey, was literally hopping mad.

"Sheesh!" Meowth commented as he observed the bouncing hairball. "Tough crowd!"

"Perhaps we should look into some new material," James moaned as he rubbed his throbbing nose.

"Not at all!" Jessie crowed. "What we're looking for is some new _pokémon!_"

"Look," Ash said, exasperated, "Are Pikachu really that hard to find that you can't just _catch_ your own?"

"Pikachu?" Jessie echoed strangely, as if Ash's suggestion was the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard. "We're giving Pikachu the Pika-_boot!_"

"Yellow rats went out of season a long time ago, kid!" Meowth elaborated. "Now, we's got our eyes set on something _cat-tastic_!"

"Something that will really stay in the public _mind!_" James added, seemingly recovered.

"Oh, what do you want, already?!" Misty blasted.

"The same thing _yous_ tree does!" Meowth answered. "We wanna know where those two psychics keep their scratching posts!"

"How did _you_ find out about those pokémon?" Brock demanded.

"It's all part of our job," Jessie gloated simply. "We've done our side of the business, and now it's time for you to do yours!"

"Where did they fly off to?" James asked.

Ash narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think we'd tell you?"

It was a fair enough question, and their captors had been prepared for it.

"You're one short," Jessie pointed out.

Puzzled, Ash turned and looked around at his companions. Down in the pit with him were Misty, Brock, Kara, Mankey, Togepi, and…

Ash went pale. "Where's Pikachu?"

As soon as he asked the dreading question, a soft, muffled cry could be heard from above.

"_Piiii-kaaa!_"

Apparently, Team Rocket had still found one good use for a Pikachu.

James had the honors of holding up the thick glass case, and Ash's jaw dropped when he saw his tiny electric friend trapped inside it. The villains must have snatched Pikachu right off his shoulder as he was falling.

"Pikachu's in for a bit of _peril_-chu if you don't share the poke-prize!"

"We don't know where the psychic pokémon are either!" Kara said.

"Can't you even give us a _little_ hint?" Meowth tried.

Instead, they were given a little terror.

"_Pika-CHUUUU!_"

Team Rocket spun around just in time to see the lightning bolt coming.

_ZZZZT!_

An instant after the three of them went up in sparks, the glass case flew from James's hands and into the clutches of a waiting Squirtle.

A clone Squirtle.

Beside it stood the clone Pikachu, who finally ceased its electric attack.

James looked dumbfounded. "That Pikachu looks familiar."

"But if we've got the right one in a cage," Jessie wondered aloud, "then whose is it?"

"_MANKEY!_"

Kara's furious friend immediately sprang out of the hole, its anger at its peak, and sailed straight at Team Rocket. Jessie's screaming face took the blunt of the assault. A moment later, the clone Bulbasaur made its own entrance as its gripping vines flew out of nowhere and snatched the distracted woman up. Meowth leapt towards the grass pokémon, but before he reached his target, a carbon-copy of himself met him in midair and gently pinned the small conniver to the ground.

Meowth gazed up at his clone in shock. "Gaaa! I'm seein' mirrors!"

Finally, the Vulpix and Psyduck clones sprang towards James. However, the latter of the two pokémon tripped over its own webbed feet and plowed clumsily into the man, knocking him to his knees and a head lower to the ground. Its target suddenly moved, the Vulpix clone sailed harmlessly overhead, missing James.

The final member of Team Rocket saw his chance, and frantically reached forward, snatching up the clone Pikachu.

"It's ours now," he finally answered Jessie's question. Feeling triumphant, he let out a high-pitched chortle for good measure.

But the struggling yellow captive's true master saw fit to object.

ZAP!

The ground in front of James exploded in a black ball of energy. Before he even knew what'd happened, the panicking man was lifted clear off his feet in an aura of blue light, and the clone Pikachu was released form his grip.

Then in a blaze of rage, Mewtwo burst out of the trees beside the pathway.

"You will regret ever touching these pokémon!" he bellowed.

Safely on the ground once more, the Pikachu clone frantically darted over to Mewtwo and shouted something in a pleading voice. Vengeance was uncalled for; after all, Team Rocket hadn't technically started this fight.

Its psychic master heatedly replied, "They are enough at fault for bringing you here!"

Behind the cluster of confusion, Mankey nervously snatched away the case containing Ash's Pikachu and hopped back into the pit trap. The clone Pikachu, however, did not back down from its leader's fury.

"_Pi pi pi pika! Pikachu-pi!_" It was pointing to itself as it spoke.

"This was your _own_ doing?" Mewtwo echoed, not believing the explanation. "It is a lie forced into you with threats!" This said, he turned to both Jessie and James and tightened his outstretched fist. "I will not be fooled by your lies," he growled, recognizing the large red "R's" on their uniforms.

Down in the pit, Ash, Misty, Brock, Kara, and their pokémon then became aware of the scene's final arrival. A blinding pink glow appeared over their heads, then enveloped them and hoisted them from their prison. Mewtwo, failing to even notice the pit trap before, stopped his attack the moment he saw the handful of familiar faces rising into view. More so, he stopped when he saw the pink aura surrounding them.

At last, his rival appeared.

"_Mew! Mew mew mewmewmew mewmew!_"

Her clone's expression turned even more venomous. "It was _you!_" he sneered. "_You_ are the traitor who brought my clones to this place!"

Mew shook her head calmly, stating that the Pikachu had spoken the truth. Still standing before Mewtwo, the yellow clone nodded and inched back warily.

Ignoring both of them, Mewtwo pressed on. "What did you say to them?" he hissed accusingly to Mew. "What poison did you place in their heads to make them come here?"

Mew ignored him in turn, glancing over at the frazzled array of humans as she deposited her load of children onto the ground. "_Mew mew mewmew_. _Mew mew mewmew mew_."

As she continued, Ash wondered out loud, "What's it saying?"

Meowth was quick to interpret. "Mew says the humans mean no harm and that Mewtwo should let us go."

"Finally, somebody's on our side," Jessie commented anxiously.

"Mew says if we go missing, a search party's liable to come lookin' for us," Meowth went on. "Our memories can't be erased either, because if we forgot what we was doin' here, other humans'll get even _more_ suspicious." He stopped to commentate. "Heh! So what's our way outta' this then?"

Mewtwo's eyes glowed brighter, and the entire group of intruders—villains, heroes, and pokémon—were wreathed in blue light. "I will not have them telling of this incident!"

Mew tilted her head and coolly replied, "_Mew mewmew mewmew_."

"Then _make sure_ they don't?" Meowth echoed, terribly confused.

"Scratch my last thought then!" Jessie squeaked. Everybody struggled wildly as they were suddenly hoisted back into the air. Kara and Misty were ready to scream. Brock and James were already screaming. Mankey clutched the glass-bound Pikachu close to its chest as if the other pokémon was a lifeline. Ash just stared ahead at the two arguing psychics.

Mewtwo understood Mew's cryptic suggestion. "Watch over them?" he said, solving the riddle. He sounded confused, despite his anger. "Accompany them to their dwellings? Do not take me for such a fool."

Mew only smiled and tilted her head the other way. "_Mew mew?_"

She had backed her accuser into a corner. Erasing the memories of so many people could indeed be risky, as she'd said. Mewtwo had only pulled of such a stunt once before; how could he be sure that it would work as perfectly a second time? No risk could be afforded at this point. And he realized that destroying these humans was absolutely out of the question, now that his senses had returned to him. He paused in thought, glancing down at the clone Pikachu for an inspiring thought. Then he lifted his head to glare at Mew, wishing that he could read her thoughts and end this debate.

At last, Mewtwo bit back his rage and accepted his defeat. There was no other option.

"I will not bend to your plan like a shell-bound newborn." Behind him, the blue light surrounding Ash and the others dissolved, and the cluster of ten dropped to the dirt once more. Mewtwo turned to glower at them.

"…But I will compromise it."

--

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Soon to be updated!


	12. Very Different Humans

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**XII**

"GAAAA!"

"Eeh!"

"Get away from me! Leave me alone!"

The Squirtle clone just laughed to itself as it playfully resumed spraying Team Rocket with its tiny blasts of water. The struggling trio was wrapped tightly in thick green vines, courtesy of the Bulbasaur, and they were being closely guarded—and lightly taunted—by the entire group of escaped clones. A short distance away, Mew hovered between two trees, calmly observing the scene.

Whether it was by their bumbling demeanors or their lack of any real information, Mewtwo had somehow sensed that Jessie, James, and Meowth weren't going to be expected—or terribly missed—by any form of a higher authority. Even so, Mew's words had settled with him enough to spare all three of them, and so he'd ordered his fellow clones to restrain the Rocket agents and keep them confined in the same patch of forest where he'd found them. That had been Mewtwo's compromise; to show some small fraction of Team Rocket the misery of enslavement.

Aside from this personal action, the psychic clone had agreed to follow through with Mew's suggestion.

Once the Squirtle was content with the way it had drenched the villainous threesome, it was the Vulpix clone's turn for fun. The little red pokémon stepped forward, asking its Bulbasaur companion to lift their prisoners off the ground, and decided to dry their feet off the best way it knew how to. Deftly tugging off the two pairs of black boots, the Vulpix then turned away, lifted its bushy tail…and began tickling Team Rocket's bare feet.

"Aah!" Jessie squeaked. "Stop that! Go away!"

"Who'd a' thought anyone's tail could be worse than his bite?!" Meowth added between yelps.

James was erupting with distressed giggling. "Why do we always end up feeling the agony of _da feet?_" he wailed.

"Any why do the twerps always get to go out on a _wing_ of victory?" Jessie chimed in.

"Maybe 'cause we never knows how it feels to be _tickled pink!_" Meowth squawked, and the trio began kicking their feet in a panic.

Mew just tilted her head at the strange captives with detached interest.

"_Mew mew…_"

…………………

Ash didn't know what to think of the situation.

Pikachu was on his shoulder again, released from its glass prison but unable to enjoy its newfound "freedom." Kara was beside him, trudging along just as stiffly as he was, with a sullen Mankey on her own shoulder. Brock and Misty were side by side in front of them, also tense. Mewtwo was behind the four of them.

What was going on? Ash's head was spinning with confusion. He knew he'd never seen the mysterious psychic pokémon before in his life, even with all the outrageous and unbelievable adventures that he'd experienced…and yet somehow, when he looked at Mewtwo's lithe, sturdy shape and intense glare, he knew who the creature was.

The question, as always, was _how_ he knew him.

And now that the boy thought about it, he realized that he recognized Mew, the smaller psychic, as well. His memory of her was somewhat less surreal, as if Ash really could recall a time when he'd seen her, even if it'd been just a glimpse. But when had he seen her?

The others suddenly came to a stop, prompting Ash to do the same. Confused, he glanced over at Kara.

"…What is it?" he asked hesitantly.

"We have arrived at our destination," Mewtwo answered darkly for the girl. "Your dwelling lies just beyond these trees. You may go on, and I will remain in the vicinity."

Ash breathed in carefully and gazed up at his chilling escort. "How long're you gonna watch us for?"

"As long as it is necessary," was Mewtwo's blunt response. He addressed the entire group once more, his voice growing dark. "I have agreed to do you no harm, but heed my warning: my powers know few limits. If you breathe a word of our presence on this island to anybody, I will know. And I will not hold to a bargain I have made with someone I do not trust."

It was as mild a threat as he could make, and with a point of one of his round fingers, he ordered the children to go. Before she disappeared into the foliage with the others, Kara glanced back at the psychic cat with what looked like timid gratitude. Ash looked back at him only with wonder.

A second later, Mankey prepared to return to its own home. Bunching its legs underneath it, the furry pig-monkey leapt off of Kara's shoulder and into the branches overhead. When the children were gone, it quickly bound higher up into the tree, and finally came to perch warily on a bow high above its enemy's head.

Mewtwo studied the tiny creature with faint curiosity.

"Why do you not accompany them?"

At first, Mankey shrank back anxiously in search of an escape, but as it observed the other pokémon, it noticed how calmly and nonchalantly he was standing on the ground. Mewtwo was far from peaceful, especially after his explosive confrontation with Mew and Team Rocket, but he seemed oddly separated from everything at this moment. To Mankey, the gray figure sounded like he was only asking a question, and had no intention of following it up with aggression. Cautiously, the fighting pokémon returned to end of the branch and replied.

"_Mank mankey mank mank. Mankey mankey mank_."

Far below, Mewtwo understood.

"You like to see the trees and sky, and it displeases you that these things do not exist indoors."

The smaller figure nodded. "_Mankey_."

"And you know the girl will come out again because it displeases her as well."

Again, Mankey nodded.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You are not bound to remain by your trainer's side?"

At this, Mankey suddenly found its courage and spoke up louder. It still spoke in a respectful tone, unsure of how easily angered Mewtwo could be, and after a few seconds, it abruptly fell silent.

But those few seconds had been enough to leave a lasting impression on its listener.

Mewtwo stepped back to see Mankey more clearly. "This girl is not your trainer?" he translated, somewhat surprised. "She is your friend, and respects your freedom?"

He lowered his head then and gazed into the trees ahead. The outline of Kara's house could just be seen through the clusters of leaves. "Is she different then, from other humans?"

Mankey shook its head, puzzled, and said more.

Mewtwo looked back up at it doubtfully. "You say everyone is like her, and they all respect pokémon and treat them as equals." He shook his head then. "I am afraid I do not agree with these beliefs, for I have met very different humans from you." He had been exposed to the world of humans much more than this tiny native, who had never left its island home before. "They did not see me as their equal."

Somehow, Mankey understood the concept that Mewtwo was implying: that humans from the outside world were not as nice. Even so, it was not convinced, and pressed on with its more familiar outlook on mankind.

"_Mankey mankey? Mank mankey, mank mank mankey_."

Mewtwo blinked, fully taking in its strange acquaintance's words.

"The boy?" he echoed. He paused, lowering his eyes to stare at the house once again. "Yes," he answered softly. "I have met _him_ as well…"

…………………

Night had crept over the horizon again as Giovanni's helicopter made its way grimly across the sky. It was southward bound—with Ivory Island as its destination.

In the passenger's quarters, sitting ominously in his shadow-wreathed chair, was the imposing Team Rocket leader. His hands were both placed calmly on the armrests, and his sharp eyes were gazing intently at the image of Mewtwo that glowed on the wall before him. It was the footage that Agent 009 had sent him with her last report the day before; the footage of Mew and its clone together.

Another moment of silence passed as the commanding figure observed the unusual pair, and then Giovanni reached out and calmly began stroking his Persian's head.

"Two pokémon," he mused coolly. "Two rare and powerful specimens. Each would make a worthy addition to our forces. Either one of them alone would make us unstoppable with our leash around its neck. And both of them together…"

He allowed his words to trail off, arrogantly picturing the triumphant scene in his head. A composed smile appeared on his set lips, and he continued.

"But we mustn't be greedy. Any pokémon that is strong enough will attempt to resist capture, and both of these creatures have a strength that can be matched by no other. Taking even one of them will be a challenge to us, and so we must decide. Which would be a greater prize? The clone, our own copy that we have created solely for our purpose…or the original itself, with all of its unaltered power and craft? Shall we aim for our own product or our original target?"

The image changed to another, much closer one, showing Mew and Mewtwo's figures all the more clearly. Giovanni paused to study each pokémon carefully, analyzing both with equal intensity. At last, he spoke.

"Mew," he began. "You are clever and elusive, and you have avoided the clutches of many of my greatest agents throughout these long years. You carry skills that are centuries old, and your experience has made you swifter and more adaptable. Fortunately, you seem to have reached the end of your potential, and have grown more and more predictable."

It was true. Mew, the pokémon who had eluded countless hunters and trainers even before Giovanni's time, had become surprisingly careless as of late. The ease with which Agent 009 had tracked it down and followed its course had been startling. Finding Mew had cost Team Rocket nothing—who was to say that capturing it would be any different?

But then, Giovanni turned his attention to the larger of the two psychics.

"Mew_two_," he said with a hint of slyness. "My old friend. It has been long since our last meeting. I am curious to see how you've managed on your own. But I doubt it will surprise me." He narrowed his eyes knowingly. "Your training was incomplete. Your powers are like a wildfire; they will destroy everything in their path. I said that to you before, and I say it again. You do not know how to correctly wield what you carry. You are _my_ tool, and only _I_ know how to use you."

Memories of his trials with the psychic cat danced through Giovanni's head as he said these chilling words. The shattering of its holding tank, Mewtwo's first act of life. The destruction of New Island's laboratory. The smoking ruins of Team Rocket's headquarters, left behind by the creature even after ages of training. Mewtwo's techniques were fueled by rage, and that would make it a danger to anyone it crossed.

Anyone.

Again, Giovanni smiled. "Your powers are strong," he went on. "But your ability to control them is week."

He continued petting his Persian's head, glaring straight through the intimidating gray and purple warrior on the screen, knowing its faults, sensing its fears…

"You will destroy yourself."

--

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Soon to be updated!


	13. A Journey DownRiver

(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XIII**

All four children found the next morning considerably less cheerful than the previous one.

Mewtwo wasn't taking any chances. He'd ordered Ash, Brock, Misty, Kara, and their pokémon to come with him to the site of their memorable meeting, where they would remain under his watch for the rest of the day. The clone Pikachu and its rebellious friends were also more or less kept prisoner in this place; their only other option would be to return to Mt. Ivory, but Mewtwo still wasn't ready to trust them alone again, and he wouldn't dream of allowing Mew to escort them back. Besides, the little clones were doing a marvelous job of tormenting the three Team Rocket members, which made them all welcome guests in their master's eyes.

At that moment, the psychic cat was admiring the Psyduck as it proceeded to unknowingly share a massive headache with the whining trio. The pudgy yellow bird would grasp its head as it swayed slowly back and forth, and every time it wiggled its stumpy tail, Jessie, James, and Meowth would squirm and groan from a wave of nausea. Sitting near the Bulbasaur, the Vulpix, Squirtle, and Meowth clones all burst out giggling.

Satisfied with this, Mewtwo then turned his attention over to Ash and Kara.

The two were sitting near a stream, slightly apart from the rest of the captives. There was a small distance between the two of them, and he noticed with some curiosity that the dark-haired boy's eyes were transfixed on the girl as she watched the flowing water. A few seconds of silence passed, then Ash stood up and quietly made his way over to Kara.

She regarded him briefly as he sat down beside her.

"How many have you been to?" she asked.

Ash stopped, puzzled. "How many what?"

Kara continued to stare at the stream. "Towns. Cities. How many have you seen?"

This caught Ash off guard, strangely enough. How many places _had_ he been to since he'd first left home? He knew at least twelve, from all of the badges he'd won in the Indigo Plateau and Orange Islands. He'd also won two badges here in the Johto Region, making fourteen, but he knew that there were dozens, if not hundreds, of other sites he and his friends had stumbled across in between.

Awkwardly, he tried to answer Kara's question.

"Gees, I don't know. I've sort of lost count over the years."

Kara glumly shifted her eyes over to him, and seeing this, Ash glanced down at the water as well. He had never in his life felt ashamed to be a pokémon trainer, not even from Team Rocket's endless taunting and his own occasional homesickness, and yet somehow, when he spoke of his travels to Kara, an odd feeling of regret would always grow inside him. This girl loved pokémon and adventure just as much as he did, and that shared passion kept her in his thoughts far longer than any other person he'd ever encountered.

Sensing his unease with an equal guilt, Kara forced a friendly smile. "It has to get boring sometimes. Doesn't it?"

Ash met her bright eyes then, and after a deep pause, he listlessly gazed into the trees ahead. "I don't know if it matters now. I don't think either of us'll get to go anywhere after this."

She watched him for another moment, taking in that forlorn look of loss that he couldn't hide, then joined him in watching the motionless forest.

Mewtwo observed the touching little scene with a face of stone. Behind him, unbeknownst to the psychic, the clone Pikachu was timidly watching its protector. It hesitated at first, then finding the words to say, the little creature stepped closer and softly spoke.

"_Pi pikachu. Pika pi chu?_"

Mewtwo barely looked at the electric pokémon as he responded.

"You think they are deserving of trust?" he echoed. "And was it _you_ who decided this, or the influence of someone else?"

The Pikachu clone looked down timidly, knowing who Mewtwo meant by _someone else_. "_Pi_…"

"Do not give your trust so readily to a stranger," the psychic warned sternly, "whether they be human _or_ pokémon. We are watching these humans to _avoid detection_, and Mew poses an equal danger. Never let her convince you of anything different."

The Pikachu lifted its head to gaze at the canopy far above them. "_Pi pikachu_. _Pi pi pi._" Mew hadn't led them as far astray as Mewtwo wished to believe; after all, she'd brought them to this very island paradise.

Mewtwo never took his eyes off of Ash and Kara. "Yes," he mused darkly. "She did."

Temporarily spared from their torturous headaches, Team Rocket observed the two clones with some curiosity.

"Mew and Mewtwo don't seem to agree on much," Jessie remarked blankly.

James chimed in. "Perhaps they've had a…"

"_Claw_ful misunderstanding," Meowth finished.

Hovering just beyond the ring of captives, Mew overheard the silly commentary and glanced over at her grim-faced clone. His purple eyes were now fixed on the other two children, the red-haired girl and the dark-complexioned older boy. A playful thought passed through the little pink creature's mind at that instant, and with a flick of her long tail, Mew darted over to Ash and Kara. She made sure, however, that neither one of them saw her approach.

Perfectly silent, the tiny cat bobbed up and down in the air behind the pair, waiting.

"Where's this stream go to?" Ask asked with as much cheer as he could.

"Out to the ocean," Kara answered just as brightly.

"Do any pokémon live in it?"

"I've seen a few. They're mostly fish."

Ash beamed. "I bet it'd be lots of fun to see them!"

Behind them, Mew seemed to agree.

"_Mew!_"

Before Ash and Kara even had a chance to react, a sudden, unseen wave of energy flew towards them. The two yelped in surprise, and as Mew's swift influence swept along, they lost their balance and were sent tumbling forward—right into the stream.

_SPLASH!_

Mewtwo snapped his head around the moment he heard the commotion. The first thing he saw was Mankey and Pikachu, terrified, running over to the stream. Behind them, Brock and Misty sprang to their feet and hurried after as they called Ash and Kara's names. Then the psychic cat saw something that made him freeze in mid-thought. Ash and Kara were completely gone from sight, the only sign of them the sound of frantic kicking and splashing.

And in their place, hovering and gazing serenely away from the deed she had just done, was Mew.

…………………

The stream was a lot deeper than it looked.

Ash's lungs were burning. He hadn't been ready for his sudden plunge, and despite all of the practice he'd had swimming over the years, he couldn't seem to break the surface with this rapid current dragging him along. Kara was having just as little luck behind him, and Ash spotted her arms and legs uselessly churning bubbles as she floundered about.

The surface…He had to reach the surface…

A sudden movement caught his eye just then, and he instinctively turned to squint at it. The second he did, Ash found himself face-to-face with a gleaming white spike—a horn. The boy jerked back in terror, and the owner of the horn did the same, revealing the rest of its orange and black body. The minute it did, Ash felt a strange wave of relief come over him as he recognized the graceful fish-like creature. It was a Seeking! And just as the startled pokémon jerked away from him, it stirred a second critter out into the open: a lurking Quillfish!

Behind him, Kara had made her own discovery. Glancing back as she was swept along, the girl managed to spot a gleam of silver further upstream. The strange mass was approaching them quickly, and it wasn't until it began to pass underneath her that she realized what it was—or rather, what _they_ were.

They were Remoraid. An entire school of tiny, shimmering Remoraid swimming together.

Ash gazed down at the glittery water pokémon as well, and for a moment, his terror was completely gone. Instead, he felt nothing but amazement as he watched those graceful little shapes darting along beneath him, seeming to welcome him along. He could see the same odd change come over Kara just then, and the girl ceased her thrashing to gawk at the fish as if she were in a trance. She'd said she had seen pokémon in this stream before, but never so many at once like this!

It was an exciting moment for both children, but before either one of them could fully appreciate what they were seeing, Mewtwo had located them again.

A glowing blue aura engulfed Ash and Kara just then, and they were snapped back into reality together as the livid psychic's mind sent them hurtling up out of the water and into a soaking wet heap on the bank. Standing in front of them, Mewtwo regarded the two with icy scorn.

"Fools," he commented. "How many times must you be taken by surprise before you learn to keep your eyes open?"

Ash coughed a bit as he caught his breath. "What happened?" he asked in a daze. "The last thing I remember was sitting in the grass, and then a _Seeking_ was looking at me…"

Their stern rescuer twitched his tail slightly. "A pokémon?"

The dark haired boy lifted his head to look nervously at Mewtwo. "Yeah…It was in the water."

For some reason, the gray and purple creature was curious about this notion. "And how many of them did you see?"

Ash lowered his head in thought, and beside him, Kara warily sat up.

"Just the Seeking," she said carefully, and then a light flickered on in her eyes. "And a Quillfish… and some Remoraid that swam past us."

And just like that, the calm and indifferent look on Mewtwo's face was gone, replaced by a stumbling expression.

"…Remoraid?" he echoed with subdued puzzlement, recalling the tiny creatures that he'd watched jumping about in the crater lake three nights ago. There were Remoraid in these waters as well? For some reason, the idea surprised him. But what caught him off guard even more was the strangely familiar look of joy that had slipped into that girl's eyes as she'd spoken of them.

Before the tall pokémon could ask any more, the sound of several chattering voices was heard, and Ash and Kara's frantic companions came rushing into view.

Misty was the first one to appear. "Ash!" she yelped with panic and relief. "You're alright!"

"_Pi-pika pi!_" Pikachu chimed in, darting to its master's side with equal concern. A split second later, Mankey sprang out of the trees and planted itself defensively in front of Kara, glaring poisonously at Mewtwo all the while.

Brock was trailing close behind the others. "What happened?"

"We saw pokémon in the river," Ash answered awkwardly. "And then Mewtwo pulled us out."

Standing in the grass, still distant from the group of children, the psychic clone's thoughts remained on Kara's last words. A part of him thought to dismiss it; _born_ pokémon were of little interest to him, and plentiful enough to be seen when he wasn't even looking for them. Even so, another part of him wished to see Remoraid again, as the memory of those little fish leaping from the water in their perfect order and place lingered vexingly in his mind. And then there was the girl—the girl who seemed so excited about those same creatures. For some reason, Mewtwo wanted to believe that her awe had been genuine, but he would not be convinced unless he saw her reaction in person. Somehow, he knew that he _needed_ to see this.

At last, a seed of a plan began to form in his head, and Mewtwo spoke.

"In which direction did the pokémon leave?" he asked Kara as flatly as he could.

The girl exchanged a wary look with Ash before she replied, "South. They went with the river."

Mewtwo paused for a moment to consider this, then lifted his head slightly. "You desire to see more of these creatures?"

Kara's voice grew quiet, but her cautious gaze never faltered. "Yes…I guess."

The tall pokémon narrowed his eyes, concealing something. "Then we shall follow those waters…to make our captives content."

Behind him, accompanied by the clone Pikachu, Mew peered curiously through the leaves at her fellow psychic.

…………………

It'd been a short journey downriver, much to Ash's surprise. He and Kara had fallen in fairly close to its end, and they probably would've reached that finish in a few minutes if Mewtwo hadn't seized them first. However, as the group arrived at their destination, Ash became very happy that he hadn't stayed in the water after all. The river led straight into a questionable looking cave, and carefully gazing beyond the massive stone structure, he could also see an equally massive waterfall plummeting into the ocean below.

"This is where the river ends," Mewtwo explained simply to Ash and Kara. "Do you still wish to follow it?"

The two children faltered on their words at first, but the dark-haired boy managed to ask, "Where'd all the pokémon go?" After all, there was no sign of any of them in those falling waters.

"They must…still be in the cave," Kara stammered.

This sparked a vague curiosity in Mewtwo. "You do not know for certain, yet you have lived on this island your entire life?"

"Well… yeah…but…" she managed nervously, "I've never been in _there_ before…"

"And so your fear of the unknown keeps you from continuing on," the clone finished bluntly.

Understandably, this notion bothered Kara. She turned just then to gaze at Mewtwo, her brown eyes thinly masking a hurt expression as his simple accusation reached her deeply. Her earlier conversation with Ash flashed in her memory at that same moment, and somehow, the thought of it sparked something unusual inside the quiet small-town girl.

Defiance.

"…I never said I was afraid," she replied flatly but warily.

"And I'm not either," Ash added with determination.

A strange hint of amusement crept into the gray cat's voice. "Then please: prove yourselves."

The two children eyed him cautiously, wondering what sort of plot their captor had just played them into, then with a nervous glance at each other, they made their way towards the cave's yawning entrance.

"Ash," Misty called out softly. "What are you doing? Don't go in there."

But neither of her friends gave a response as they continued on and into the shadowy entrance. Their captor had spoken, and his sly command had been an order, not a suggestion.

Mewtwo watched the boy and girl enter the cave, and as soon as their cautious forms crossed the stony threshold and disappeared into the awaiting darkness, a sharp blue light erupted in his deep purple eyes.

"I will be watching."

--

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I know I said it wouldn't take me this long to update again, but I have to be honest: I've hit a part in the story that I haven't mapped out terribly well, so it's hard to come up with ideas right now. I do have the climax and ending all planned out, but I have to get through the middle first. Soon to be updated!


	14. Mewtwo's Test

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XIV**

"Can you see anything?"

Ash squinted into the darkness that surrounded him, then carefully held up a hand in front of his face. To his dismay, he could barely even see _that_.

"Kind of," he answered "…At least…I _think_ that's my hand." He was starting to wish that he'd brought Pikachu into this dank void with him.

Kara frowned and glanced warily back at the dwindling light by the cave's entrance. She paused then, and after gathering her jumbled thoughts, she shifted her eyes over to where she assumed Ash was standing.

"Are you sure you've never seen those pokémon before?"

For some reason, Ash wasn't sure how to answer the question. He stopped, blinking oddly in the dark, then replied with puzzlement. "…What do you mean?"

"There's something about them," she said, sounding more suspicious than curious. "Especially Mewtwo. It's like…I don't know…like he's testing us. Like he thinks we'll do something strange."

Ash stood up straighter and stared at the distant entranceway too. Kara's lifetime of observing pokémon had certainly made her aware of things that he never would've noticed. What _was_ Mewtwo's reason for sending the two of them inside this cave? The psychic cat couldn't be that anxious just to see some Remoraid. Then again, Ash supposed _all_ cats had some crazy liking for fish. But then why weren't Misty and Brock sent into the cave too? And why was Team Rocket still tied up all the way back in the woods? There had to be something about him and Kara that Mewtwo was especially curious about.

Finally, Ash spoke up again. "Maybe he _is_ testing us."

Kara fell silent at this and turned to face Ash questioningly, but whatever thoughts she was forming were suddenly cut short.

_Sploosh!_

"_Remo! Remo!_"

The two spun around in unison, and they both immediately became aware of the sound of rushing water in the cavern. Ash's eyes grew wide with realization, and he and Kara traded excited looks.

"The Remoraid!" they exclaimed together. And just like that, they dropped onto all fours and took off after the splashing noises—feeling their ways across the rocks all the while.

Before entering the cave, Ash had seen that the river ran straight through and out the other side, and from what he'd been able to see coming in, there were no splits in the waterway. His guess—which was about all he had, not knowing the first thing about rivers or Remoraid—was that the little fish were strong enough to turn around and swim against the current once they reached the cave. Kara seemed just as lost in the matter; she'd never ventured inside this place before, even though she'd lived minutes away from it her entire life.

_Sploosh!_

Kara stopped crawling. "There's another one!" she said eagerly.

Ash also stopped to listen. "It sounds…far away," he observed awkwardly. "Like it's too far away from the river." The two began looking around blindly.

Kara sighed a little and moved forward. "Well maybe we…_WHOAHHH!_"

Before Ash could even think, he frantically reached out to save Kara from her unseen danger. His arms shot out blindly in the dark, and he grabbed hold of the girl's flailing legs as she began tumbling away. But it was already too late.

"_AAAAAAAAHH!_" Ash shouted as he was dragged down the surprise drop with Kara.

GLOP!

And all of a sudden, it was over.

Ash coughed and lifted himself up from the pile of goo that he'd landed in. Beside him, Kara sat up and wiped the same slimy substance off of her face. She winced slightly as she did, catching a strong whiff of the foul-smelling grime on her hands.

"What did we land in?" she asked, trying her best not to gag.

"Mud, I guess," Ash said then, getting to his knees. He could feel some of it squishing around inside his sneakers now. "Where'd it come from?"

And then…

"_Remo!_"

_Sploosh!_

"_Raid! Remo-raid!_"

_Sploosh!_

Hearing the familiar sounds, Ash and Kara quickly forgot about their little predicament and whirled around. The splashes had been close, so close that Ash had even felt three droplets of water touch his cheek. Anxious again, he resumed his crawling and scurried towards the wet-sounding celebration like a hungry Krabby towards a pile of neglected donuts. A few seconds later, he heard another, much louder splash, and could suddenly feel cold water rising up to his wrists.

He only wished that his beaming smile could've lit up the cave right then.

"_Kara!_" he shouted with utter bliss. "I found them! I _found_ them!"

There was another heavy splash as Kara nearly fell into the water beside him.

"Oh wow!" she gasped. "What is this? It can't be part of the river!"

Ash paused in thought, and then all of a sudden, something occurred to him. Something very useful, and in fact crucial—something that Misty would have screamed her head off at him for if she'd been in that cave wit him right now.

"Hey, wait a minute!" he piped.

Sitting back and away from the water's edge, the boy pulled off his weathered green backpack, and after a moment of rummaging through it, he felt a round, plastic handle and retrieved one of his long forgotten tools. Kara waited curiously, and an instant after she heard Ash's backpack zip shut, a blazing gold light snapped on in her friend's hands—a flashlight.

Ash had had a flashlight with him the entire time.

"There!" he said, cheerful and sheepish all at once. "I almost forgot about this thing!"

Despite their earlier toil, Kara smiled. "Better late than never." With that, they turned and gazed out in awe at their discovery.

It was a pool. A small, five-meter pond sitting in the middle of the crater they'd stumbled into, wreathed by a ring of scattered stalagmites at its edges and teeming with ripples. Ash lowered his flashlight beam to the surface of the water, and as soon as he did, a handful of smaller lights gleamed dully from inside the pool. A second passed, and then one of the lights' sources bobbed to the surface to study the strange new visitors with large yellow eyes. Kara's eyes nearly lit up themselves when she recognized the two glowing antenna sprouting from its round blue body—it was a Lanturn!

She laughed and looked past it, and as if sensing her gaze, a silvery Remoraid abruptly leapt from the water and called out. The two kids grinned as they watched it, already brimming with triumph, then were suddenly surprised when yet another of the small fish came leaping into view, seemingly out of nowhere. Ash lifted his light towards the shadows where the newest Remoraid had sprang from, and to his surprise, he saw the answer that he and Kara had been looking for.

"Look!" he said with amazement. "They're jumping over from the river!"

It was true, Kara saw with astonishment. There was the river, running straight past the lip of the crater, and even as she watched, a third Remoraid came rocketing out of it to land in the pool with a soft _sploosh!_ Without stopping, the creature continued straight down to the bottom of the peaceful pond and opened its mouth wide. As it did, Ash could see a cluster of small pearly orbs tumble out and settle on the watery floor—eggs.

Beside him, Kara noticed it as well. "They're bringing their eggs here to hatch."

Ignoring its observers, the Remoraid calmly spit out the last of its eggs and began moseying back to the surface of the pool. Seeing this, Kara leaned back to gaze out over the entire site.

"This is incredible," she breathed, taking it all in. "I never knew any of this was in here!"

"Why didn't you ever come in before?" Ash asked her just then.

Kara was stammering from the sheer wonder of the scene. "I…I don't know! I guess I always _was_…too _afraid_ to!"

The boy smiled again at that. Part of the mystery was solved.

He watched as another Remoraid arrived with its own mouthful of eggs to deposit. Somehow, it felt like he was back inside the Pokémon Research Center, learning about these mysterious creatures while he escaped from the world outside.

"Well _this_ doesn't look like anything to be afraid of," he commented simply. Falling silent once more, Kara just forced a smile and watched as one of the Remoraid suddenly leapt out of the pool and back into the river, now bound in the opposite direction. She reached up impulsively to finger her seashell just then. Maybe courage really _was_ the only thing that someone needed to travel new roads.

Ash paused a second longer to admire their discovery, and then absent-mindedly lowered his flashlight to the mud where he sat. That was when he noticed something rather unusual about the goo they were crouched in.

"Uh…Kara?"

"What?"

Somehow, words failed him. "…Is mud ever…_white? _Or…_smelly?_"

The girl lifted her hands to squint at the mess that covered them. Right as she did, her face turned equally white.

"…I don't think this is mud," she answered with sudden dread.

Ash gulped. "Then what is it?"

As if on cue, a shrill squeak was heard far above their heads, and recognizing the sound, Ash slowly lifted his light to the cavern's stalactite-covered ceiling.

…And more or less, he found his answer.

The squeaking creature, surrounded by nearly a hundred of its tiny blue and purple brethren, shuddered from the brightness and snapped its head up to glare up-side-down at the children. And then, realizing what was happening, it opened its fanged mouth wide and let out a piercing shriek.

"_ZUBAT-BAT!!_"

Now there was something to be afraid of.

Ash and Kara screamed as the ceiling flared to life with flapping purple wings, and before either of them could stand, the entire flock of disturbed Zubat rained down on them. Ash toppled backwards as one of the pokémon dove at his head, but he immediately scrambled to his feet when he remembered what revolting substance he was lying in. Gripping his flashlight like a life-preserver, he spun wildly around and lurched towards the slope that he and Kara had fallen down.

"_Turn around!_" he hollered to the girl. "_We've gotta get back to the entrance!!_"

…………………

Mewtwo couldn't believe what he was seeing. True to his word, he'd been watching the two children ever since they set foot inside the cave, and through his psychic senses, he'd seen everything that they had.

The Remoraid had a nursery. A point of origin that they all shared. It was enough to send his mind reeling. Where did these creatures come from? Were they, perhaps, the same Remoraid that swam in his own lake on the mountain? It was definitely possible…but then how could they find their way to this river? There had to be some explanation.

He continued to concentrate on that image, watching those little fish leap in and out of the pond, and for one brief moment, he actually envied them. These pokémon truly did have their places in life—now more than ever.

His thoughts turning dark, he turned them instead to the children. Despite his distrust for their kind, he was impressed; the girl and boy had actually found this pool. They had both carried out the challenge he had given them, and had shown him exactly what he'd wanted to see. That was not a thought that the grim psychic could simply disregard.

Mewtwo would have dwelled on it longer, but just then, the image changed. Simply changed. Where he once saw playfully leaping fish, he now saw angry wings and wide, sharp-toothed mouths dropping from above. And then his head filled with screams—the two children's screams. Some were words, frightened calls to each other and warnings of more of the oncoming creatures. Others were simply screams. But the tall pokémon noticed that all of these cries had one thing in common: they were all growing very close very fast.

"AAAAAAAHH!!"

Behind Mewtwo, the others the others jerked back in shock.

"Ash?!" Misty gasped, horrified at the sound.

"_Pika!_"

"_Mankey!_"

Brock pointed sharply. "There!" he exclaimed, and in the blink of an eye, Ash and Kara both came tearing out of the cave, followed by a cloud of furious Zubat. Stunned by the sight, all five of their unsuspecting onlookers froze. Even Mewtwo.

Pikachu and Mankey were the first to snap out of their trances, and instinctively flew to defend their human friends. With one swift kick of its muscular legs, Mankey launched itself into the air and easily knocked Kara and Ash to the ground. Once the hapless pair was out of harm's way, Pikachu took over with a strong pinch of its bright red cheeks. Sparks immediately crackled around its yellow figure, and soon an enormous blast of electricity was sent hurtling towards the ill-tempered flock.

However, a glowing pink bubble appeared in the bolts' way just before they connected with their targets. Taking the full impact, the large round structure burst harmlessly into sparks, and the now frightened Zubat turned tail and made a clumsy retreat back into their safe cavern home. Once they were gone, Mew floated calmly into view with a casual flick of her tail.

Misty and Brock ignored the tiny psychic's arrival and rushed to Ash and Kara's sides. Behind them, Mewtwo remained still and watched the rather silly reunion. His thoughts stayed on the Zubat incident for a moment, and although it had been startling at first, he admitted that it had also been amusing in its own right. How ridiculous, to be afraid of creatures that could be so easily frightened themselves! It was almost laughable!

Surprisingly enough, the corners of his gray lips twitched slightly at the idea. It was _very_ laughable! But as he dwelled on this thought, Mew zipped over and began hovering just off to his right. His faint glee quickly gone, Mewtwo raised his stern eyes to silently met the other cat's gaze. In turn, Mew said nothing; she didn't have to.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes warningly and turned to watch Ash and Kara again. The children, particularly the girl, had been much sharper than he'd given them credit for. They had obeyed him by going into the cave, and had been intelligent enough to realize they were being put to the clone's personal test.

A test that they had both passed.

--

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Soon to be updated!


	15. Uncovered Reasons

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XV**

It'd been only two days since Agent 009 had last contacted Giovanni, but the footage she had to show after that brief time had seemed like enough work to fill a week. The Team Rocket boss's orders had been simple: observe Mew and Mewtwo, learn as much as she could, and report it immediately. Agent 009 and her grim black bird, to say the least, had followed those orders flawlessly—but there was more to the latest report than just psychic cats.

Still in his helicopter, Giovanni saw two figures on the screen. Both were pokémon, but instead of the elegant shapes of Mew and Mewtwo, the heavy-browed leader was observing two small, round creatures as they hoped along the seashore with their round blue tails bouncing behind them. They were Marill, and as soon as Giovanni recognized the pair of watery mice, the image was replaced by a swarm of indigo Jumpluff that were floating through the trees on their light white tufts. A few seconds later, he saw a gold and red Sandslash clawing lazily at the earth, and then a rock-dwelling creature poking its long yellow neck out of its faded pink shell—a Shuckle.

At last, Agent 009's voice spoke up.

"It's remarkable," she said with cool amazement. "I've never seen so many different species of pokémon in one environment before. There's at least twenty-five on Ivory Island that I've seen."

An amused glint appeared in Giovanni's eyes at this. Try as she might, his favorite agent could not hide the greed that was bubbling in her tone.

"And what are you requesting, 009?" he asked her simply.

"Only your permission to capture a few specimens, sir. Some of these species are rare in the Johto Region." As if to emphasize her point, the image of a full-grown Sunflora swaying in the breeze suddenly appeared on the screen. "It would be a huge benefit for us to have them in our hands."

"No pokémon is worth more in our hands than the two you were sent to track down," the boss replied smoothly. "Always remember that, Agent."

"Yes, sir," she replied, quickly composing herself.

As soon as she'd spoken, Giovanni smiled proudly and sat forward. His rejection had been a test; an experiment to see how obedient his only command on the island was. It was a test that Agent 009 had passed—for there was no doubt in his mind that she would follow any word she gave him—and so the grim master saw fit to give her some small reward.

"Mew is sharp and strong-sensed, and its clone is cunning; you will need to be quick and effective to capture any pokémon in their proximity."

"Sir?" Agent 009 asked, sensing a desired answer.

"You may capture _one _pokémon," Giovanni said finally. "Only one, and be sure to use the tools that you have been given. A battle is the last thing we want if we hope to elude our missing psychics for any longer."

"I will use them, sir," she responded dutifully.

"You're dismissed."

With that, the screen went blank.

For a moment, Giovanni continued to stare at the empty wall in front of him, lost in silent thought. His decision to grant Agent 009 this privilege was more than a simple reward for his favorite scout; it'd been as much of a necessity as a frivolity. The Rocket leader had allowed her to capture a pokémon in order to test her new equipment, and only for that reason. His team was mere days away from what would be their most trying and costly mission of the decade—possibly even the century—and they needed to make sure that their newest, most state-of-the-art weaponry was working perfectly.

After all, it had been specifically designed for this mission and its psychic target.

…………………

Ash could barely believe his eyes.

The flock of Zubat had barely been gone for a minute when Mewtwo'd ordered the group to move along. Sinking back into his bleak outlook on their situation, Ash had expected their psychic captor to lead them back upriver and tie them up alongside Team Rocket. Instead, the stone-faced pokémon had led them right past that point, and through a very familiar-looking patch of forest that stopped directly behind an equally familiar-looking building.

Misty blinked her blue eyes is confusion. "But…this is Kara's house. What are we doing here?"

"There has been a change of plans, humans," Mewtwo responded smoothly, barely glancing at her. "Things must be attended to now, and your presence will only slow my progress." He shifted his gaze forward and raised his chin, beckoning. "Go back to your home. You will remain there for the rest of this day and night. …And I shall continue to watch you."

For a moment, nobody said anything; the shock of the moment prevented them from it. What was going on? Mewtwo had just sent Ash and Kara into a perilous cave, and now he was sending all of them back to the house, away from him. To hear his thunderous words yesterday, it'd seemed like Mewtwo had wanted to keep them in his sight for the rest of their lives, and yet today, he was putting them away. Ash blinked in confusion as he glanced from the purple and gray creature to Kara's welcoming home. He still couldn't believe his eyes.

Unable to ignore his uneasiness, he looked up at Mewtwo and spoke.

"Why are you watching us _there_?" he asked strangely.

The psychic's reply was blunt.

"Would you prefer that I kept you in these woods instead?"

Ash faltered at this. "Uh…no…I guess not."

"Then do as I say," Mewtwo finished sharply. He turned to glare at Brock just then. "Obedience. Trainers should understand that concept well."

Brock calmly squared his shoulders at the distasteful comment, then turned and began making his way towards the house. "Come on, guys," he said flatly to the others. One by one, Misty, Ash, and Kara each followed his lead and crossed over that threshold of foliage, back into their human sanctuary once more.

Mewtwo watched Kara as she left. Even now, he could see the slowness in her steps, that hesitation to leave the forest that she now knew better than ever. She paused briefly at the last minute to glance back at him, seeming almost reluctant to leave him, and just as the back of her purple vest disappeared through the green passageway, the Mankey on her shoulders sprang up into the trees. For a few seconds, Mewtwo gazed up at the untrusting old creature, recalling the words he'd exchanged with it last evening. A thought played across his mind then, but he swiftly pushed all four of the children from his mind and turned away.

As he'd said: he had other things to attend to.

…………………

"Me-OW!"

Meowth yelped as James's hairy purple head clunked against his for the third time that afternoon. The bumbling young man had been nodding off ever since Mewtwo and the four children had left, and now his two companions were stuck on either side of him as their Bulbasaur captor refused to loosen its vine grip on them.

"Lean on someone yer own size, Gigant-_snore_!" Meowth snapped. At that, he jerked his head backwards and sent James tilting sharply over to Jessie. Another_ clunk_ was suddenly heard, informing the catlike creature of his success.

"Gah!" the maroon-haired girl squealed in pain. "When did you become such a_ heavy sleeper?_" she demanded angrily.

In between his complaining comrades, James whined and lifted his head. "Jessie, I haven't had a wink of sleep since we got dragged into this _nightmare_."

"Well I've gotten plenty of winks," the female agent replied matter-of-factly. "Maybe next time you should ask for some."

"Yeh sees, James, the problem wit you is that you doesn't know how to _catnap_," Meowth added.

James began kicking his legs in a useless tantrum. "That's only because _vine_-yl sheets are uncomfortable to sleep on!" he whimpered loudly.

"_Bulba_…"

All three of them went silent the moment they heard the sound, then turned to stare down at their clone guard. The little Bulbasaur was no longer standing on its stout legs, but lying down, and its deep red eyes were slowly beginning to disappear beneath their heavy blue lids. Intrigued, Team Rocket continued to stare at it motionlessly. Apparently, James wasn't the only one getting tired.

"…It looks like Bulbasaur thinks it's a Snorlax," Jessie commented softly.

James seemed wide-awake now. "Maybe someone should sing it a _Bulba_-by."

Meowth glanced curiously over at the other clones just then. "Look. Poké see, poké do."

"Huh?" Jessie and James turned to follow his gaze. Just a few meters away, the Vulpix and Psyduck clones both lay peacefully in the grass—the latter of the two snoring slightly—and the Squirtle and Meowth were also starting to look drowsy as they leaned back against a nearby tree. The only clone that looked perfectly awake was the Pikachu, but its distance from the rest of the group made it oblivious to their prisoners. One by one, Jessie, James, and Meowth's eyes shifted back towards the drifting Bulbasaur, and then they each glanced hopefully at each other.

It was now or never.

Jessie glared hard at James and Meowth. "Alright you two, start singing!"

Her two partners jerked back as if she'd just slapped them across their faces.

"Sing?" Meowth echoed wildly. "How's come _we's_ gotta sing?"

"Because you're the closest ones to the Bulbasaur!"

"But you know I can't carry a tune any longer than I can carry a scheme!" James pointed out frantically.

"Alright then," Jessie snapped. "What do _you _suggest we do?"

"Find ourselves some backup vocals," Meowth replied flatly.

The hopeless trio sighed as one, then reluctantly lifted their heads and commenced their most embarrassing escape plot to date.

"Sleep little pokémon, don't say a word, being quiet's what is preferred…"

Already, the pitiful song was starting to take some effect. The poor little grass pokémon hadn't slept since it'd tied up the conniving prisoners, and the threesome's constant squirming had only sapped its energy even more as it'd struggled to keep them still. Now its senses were beginning to dull, and the sound of the sleeping tune—as off-key as it was—was causing its once firm vine grip to slacken. Feeling their bonds loosening, Team Rocket continued the song more eagerly.

"So little Bulbasaur, don't say a thing, while this Team Rocket's _escaping_…"

_ZAP!_

Boom!

The sudden blast earned a startled shriek from the three jailbirds, and the Bulbasaur clone quickly stumbled back onto its feet, alert once again. Standing calmly behind them, Mewtwo lowered his hand and ignored the tiny crater that his energy ball had left in the earth.

"Already, you let them bend you to their will," he dryly observed. Chastised, the Bulbasaur lowered its head and glumly murmured its name. The other five clones, also wide awake now, watched the scene quietly from a distance.

Mewtwo said nothing to the rest of them, but turned his attention to Team Rocket. There was a tense pause as he seemed to piece together his words, then with an order for the Bulbasaur to release them, the luckless villains were dumped onto the ground in a shivering pile. The psychic towered coldly over them.

"Why have you come here, humans?"

Despite the loud knocking of his knees, James sat up and forced an innocent grin. "W-why do we go anywhere sir, besides to tame our unending desire to see the beautiful world and have a little bit of harmless fun while we're still alive?" The lavender-haired idiot was babbling for his life.

Their questioner was unconvinced. "The children have come to this island only by chance; I can see that easily. But _you_ have come here with a purpose. What is it?"

This last question made the trio fall silent. There was no hint of anger or accusation in Mewtwo's voice. Rather, the stone-faced creature sounded almost pleasant, as if he found some sort of entertainment in talking to them. Awaiting a response, the gray and purple pokémon towered over his three listeners patiently.

At last, Jessie found the courage to say anything. "…Our…purpose?" She glanced awkwardly over at James and Meowth. "What _was_ our purpose?"

"Eh. Why does we go _anywhere?_" her catlike companion asked back sheepishly.

"Because the twerps always go there right before us," James answered oddly. Somehow, none of them had ever been faced with such an obvious question before.

Mewtwo flicked his tail, seeming curious. "And why do you follow them so…devoutly?"

Quietly making its way to its master's side, the Pikachu clone answered for Team Rocket. "_Pika, pika-chu, pi. Pika!_"

The larger clone blinked down at it. "To steal their pokémon?" he translated, vaguely amused. "You saw them do this the day you came down from the mountain?"

The little yellow critter nodded carefully. "_Pi._"

Mewtwo set his lips to a flat line, then turned to gaze coolly down at the cowering threesome. "There seems no limit to whom you can wrong. And yet, you do not know why that is."

When Team Rocket failed to reply to this, he continued. "Were you sent here by anyone?"

The bumbling villains were still dumbfounded. "Err…What exactly do you mean by 'sent?'" Jessie asked nervously.

"Were you ordered to follow these children by some higher authority?"

Rather than speaking, the Rocket agents only gawked up at their interrogator with even dumber expressions. Even so, those blank faces themselves were enough of an answer for Mewtwo.

"So I am wrong to think that," he concluded calmly. "The very thought of someone sending you on such a senseless errand is beyond your comprehension." A look of satisfaction flashed in his deep purple eyes. "Very well then."

They weren't after him. The allegiances of these three figures before him were as plain as the red "R"'s on their uniforms, and yet they had not come to this island to harm him or his fellow clones. In fact, they hadn't even known of the clones' presence here, and neither had the boss who regarded these three agents as useless. The thought of it sent an incredible sense of relief through Mewtwo in that moment—a sense of accomplishment, that he had succeeded in keeping his companions safe for just a little longer.

At this final thought, however, a sense of anger began to bubble up beneath his relief, and the psychic turned his attention towards the Pikachu at his side.

"But that does not account for why _you_ came to this place," he pointed out sternly.

The yellow mouse twitched its long ears at this. "_Pika?_"

Its leader turned towards it just then, facing it directly. "You left our sanctuary against my wishes yesterday. You and the others came to this place in secret when you knew I would disapprove. Why did you disobey me?"

The Pikachu recoiled slightly as Mewtwo's tone sharpened. "_Pi…pika pi chu. Pika…_"

As the little clone's response went on, Jessie and James looked to Meowth. "What's it saying?" James asked tensely.

Meowth was deeply focused on the pokémon's shaky words. "Hmm…the Pikachu says it and the other clones came down here for _Mewtwo_. 'I heard what Mew said about Ash and I wanted to find him and see how much he cared about his pokémon. We all did.'"

This revelation only fueled Mewtwo's growing anger. "And did you _also_ hear what I said about the _Team Rocket leader?_ You are as much in danger as I am. Those were not empty words."

"_PI PIKA CHA!_"

Team Rocket instantly went rigid at the cry. The Pikachu clone had dropped onto all fours as it'd shouted, and its tiny frame was now shaking uncontrollably from emotion. Beyond the tight circle of the conversation, the other five clones were all watching anxiously.

"They weren't all true either," Meowth translated uncomfortably.

Mewtwo's eyes glinted dangerously. "What do you mean?"

The Pikachu struggled to continue with its trembling voice, and Meowth resumed his translation. "Pikachu says that Mewtwo's so busy thinkin' about the bad humans that he never notices the good ones. It wanted to find Ash so the clones could see a good human and understand that they're not all gone. It was the best thing for Mewtwo."

But the clones' leader, still furious with this apparent ingratitude, would hear none of the Pikachu's words. "_I_ will decided what is best for me from now on," he retorted curtly.

It was enough to bring tears to the other clone's eyes. The Pikachu staggered back at the crippling words, as if the very sound of them had injured it. A short distance away, the Bulbasaur stepped forward in an attempt to defend its yellow friend, but its exhaustion could not be ignored. The little green creature stumbled, and came to an uneasy stop as it began swaying on leaden feet. Seeing its jerky movements in the corner of his eye, Mewtwo shifted his glare from the Pikachu to the Bulbasaur and paused. The grass pokémon was plainly spent, and try as they might, the others couldn't hide their own sleepiness either.

These creatures would not last another moment in the real world.

The sullen, grave look returned to Mewtwo's face, and lifting his hand, he turned to the Pikachu clone with glowing blue eyes.

"…And I will decided what is best for _you_," he finished quietly.

With that, the six misfit clones were suddenly engulfed in blue light, and before any of them could call out in protest, they were levitated off of the grassy earth and high above the treetops. Their leader sent them a final bleak look—a pained look, almost—and slowly sent them floating along with a flick of his wrist. He was returning them to the crater in Mt. Ivory, where they would be safe. And they would not leave again after the harsh words he had given them.

A minute of silence passed, and Mewtwo lowered his hand at last. He turned to briefly regard Team Rocket, then calmly strode over to the riverside to collect his thoughts. Besides, he knew that his captives were far too frightened to attempt an escape now.

The children had come for an adventure. The three agents had come for the children. And Pikachu and the others had left the crater for the humans. One by one, the pieces of this ever-plaguing puzzle were coming together, but there was still one piece that was unaccounted for—one individual who's purpose Mewtwo could not understand, or fit into the picture…

…………………

"Where have you been?"

Standing in her living room's doorway, Kara froze. "Mom?"

Lola stood up from the couch and marched up to her daughter, livid. "I woke up this morning at six o'clock to an empty house. No you, no guests, and no explanation. What were you doing out of the house so early?"

Kara opened her mouth to speak, but could think of nothing. She traded a hesitant glance with Ash, who was also at a loss for excuses. "…We…saw a pokémon," she answered.

"You saw a pokémon," Lola echoed with disappointment. "Kara, you were gone for hours. I saw no sign of any of you for _hours!_"

"We understand that you were worried," Misty said just then, hugging Togepi to her chest, "but there was no way for us to come back sooner."

"It wasn't Kara's fault," Brock added quickly, lifting a finger.

Lola paused, despite her displeasure, then looked all four children straight in the eye. She could see that they were all hiding something, some form of fear. "What happened?" she asked them in a much softer tone.

Now it was Ash's turn to speak up. "It was _my_ fault," he said apologetically, coming forward. "I…lost my hat on the way back, and we all got lost trying to find it. Kara was the one who found the way back. I'm really sorry."

"_Pika_," Pikachu added gently from its seat on his shoulders.

There was nothing that Lola could say to this; her daughter's only crime had been helping her guests, and she had done so without any loss or harm along the way. Instead of another heated scolding, the weary mother could only lower her eyes and nod slightly. It was the same reluctant acceptance that Ash had seen on his own mother's face every time he'd left home to continue his journeys—that knowing dread that her only child was growing further and further beyond her protection, and could not be brought back.

Lola raised her head to hold Kara's gaze then. "Never again," she said flatly. "You will never leave this house without telling me again. I worry enough about you when you're alone, Kara, and now…you have responsibilities. These trainers and their pokémon don't know this island, and you have to be responsible. Tell me next time."

It was all she could bare to say, and it was enough. Kara nodded, accepting the terms. "Yes, Mom."

Hovering just outside the living room window, Mew playfully watched the scene unfolding inside. She easily recognized the four children, the Pikachu, and the Togepi…but there was one more figure inside that was unfamiliar-looking. A human woman, older than the children, standing with her side to the window. The mother of one of them. For some reason, Mew was intrigued by her, and leaned in closer to the pane of glass.

And that was when she noticed something else.

It was an extremely bright day today, and as the sunlight shown on the window, it made a reflection almost as clearly as any mirror. Mew edged back and smiled at this discovery. It was like she was hovering face-to-face with another Mew—a _true_ clone! But for all of its clarity, the reflection still wasn't perfect; she could still see the human mother through the window, behind that reflection.

Mew tilted her head curiously. It was like they were the same creature, two halves put together into a whole. She turned sideways then, just like the mother, and the doubled image became even more unified. Yes. Now they looked even _more_ alike.

The pink cat would've probably remained entranced by this image for hours, but at that instant, an odd feeling came over Lola, as if she could sense those bright blue eyes on her. The woman turned to look, and as soon as Mew saw her brown-haired head move, the little psychic was gone in a flash of pink light.

Inside the living room, Lola blinked oddly at the empty wilderness staring back at her. She could've sworn something was watching her a minute ago. Sighing, she threw the thought aside; it was probably just Mankey.

But a much further distance away, Mew peeked through the leaves at the woman, still watching through that window with unending curiosity.

--

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Woo-hoo! An update finally! Those darn college workloads never give you time to do the really important stuff!

Long chapter, I know, but this is another one of those big transitional stages in the story. Now I've reached the point where I'm back into the outline I wrote for this fanfic, so I know exactly what to write from here to the end. That means my updates will be a lot more frequent now!


	16. A Broken Sanctuary

(Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize from a certain TV show, video game, or movie.)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XVI**

Dawn came slowly the next morning. The black night sky had lingered overhead for as long as it could, and even as the sunrise began to blot it away with orange clouds, a few streaks of navy and purple could be seen on the horizon far longer than they would have on any other day.

Carefully poking its long neck out from its shell, an old Shuckle thought nothing of the sight as it studied the water around it. To the turtle-like creature, everything was slow.

The pink and yellow pokémon was seated on top of a pile of coral, surrounded on all sides by a calm turquoise ocean. The coral had been dead for years, and its rocklike bones had stacked up so high that the very top of the organic mountain was now jutting out of the water, drying and bleaching in the sun. Several of these curious formations could be found in the reefs south of Johto, and they came in more than handy for land dwellers like Shuckle, who only ventured out to sea when the local Krabby population made food competition more trouble than it was worth. This morning though, the old Shuckle was taking a moment to warm itself in the sun before diving off to find breakfast.

A soft splash was heard off to its left just then, and looking up, the critter spotted the mine-shaped silhouette of a Qwilfish right beneath the water's surface. A frown appeared on the Shuckle's face at the sight of the other pokémon's poisonous spikes. Maybe breakfast could wait a little longer.

Two seconds later though, the Qwilfish was only the _second_-most terrifying thing on the reef.

_Chopa-chopa-chopa-chopa!_

Startled by the sudden deafening sound, the Shuckle whirled its long neck around and gawked up in shock. Just over the western horizon, the shape of a hulking beast filled the sky as it rapidly approached. Despite its fear, the turtle pokémon tilted its head to the side in awe. Never before had it seen such a creature. The giant black stranger had two narrow, ski-like legs that hung below an armor-plated body, and a long, thick tail that extended far out behind it. A blur of swiftly rotating wings grew from its back and the end of its tail, slicing the air with a harsh chopping rumble. Its face, its most puzzling feature of all, was nothing but a large pair of shimmering eyes on the front of its enormous body. This was what the Shuckle made of this strange, other-worldly pokémon, but in truth, it was no pokémon at all.

It was a helicopter. And on its side, painted boldly in red, was the letter "R."

Inside the immense structure, the pilot and copilot gazed down at the dashboard's scanners.

"We're picking up more life forms, sir," the copilot pointed out. "More pokémon, just ahead!"

"I see them," the pilot responded coolly. He lifted his head to stare out through the windshield, then addressed the other six crewmen behind him. "Commence the operation again; Boss's orders. Lower the machine!"

At his command, a green-haired female agent reached out and pulled a lever on the control panel in front of her, causing the black bulb at the end of the device to glow bright red. A second later, a mechanic whir was heard, and all eight of their black-clad heads turned to glance out the side windows.

Outside the cockpit, the panels beneath the helicopter's rear slowly opened, and a wicked-looking mechanism was lowered. To a human onlooker, the mysterious object would have looked like a gun—a laser weapon fit for any science fiction B-movie. Covered in shining black metal, the gun's barrel was comprised of three spheres, which decreased in size as they reached the barrel's end. From there, a wiry satellite dish bloomed outwards, and a thick rod protruded from its center. Indeed, the hulking devise looked like a gun—but it was far more effective.

From its place in the water, the Qwilfish glared angrily up at the noisy helicopter and immediately launched its defenses. The fish pokémon swelled up twice its size, and let loose on the chopper with a powerful blast of its water gun. Inside the cockpit, the pilot smiled as the powerful stream shot straight up at them.

"Activate the energy binder," he ordered simply. A man beside the green-haired woman eagerly complied, activating a series of buttons and switches in front of him.

Sitting on its mountain of coral, the old Shuckle watched the Qwilfish's sudden outburst. The blast of water surged up towards the helicopter's underside, but just as it neared its target, the stream turned in midair…and connected with the satellite's rod. There was a loud crackle, and a split second later, the entire mechanism was glowing an ugly red. And then, as the glow began to grow even more blinding, it shot back down through the unrelenting stream of water and engulfed the Qwilfish in its bloody aura. The helpless pokémon let out a bone-tingling shriek, and then its watery attack abruptly ceased.

That was all the Shuckle needed to see. Panicking, the old turtle-like critter leapt off of its mount and into the water—anything was better than taking a chance against that monster! But Team Rocket's energy binder had already latched onto its victim's element, and the blazing red light did not stop with the Qwilfish.

Before the Shuckle had covered so much as a meter, the water all around it was burning red, and before it could even squeal in horror, its voice died right in its throat. Its muscles failed to move, its mind failed to think, and as quickly as it'd tried to retreat, the poor old creature was floating helplessly at the water's surface.

Nearby, the light had left the same effect on an Octillery, and a dazed pair of Corsola floated up a few seconds later. The entire ocean seemed to be littered with pokémon right then, and that was when Team Rocket employed one more contraption. Just behind the energy binder, two more bottom panels slid open, and down came a wide metal tube—a vacuum.

The last thing the Shuckle could remember was flying…and hazily wondering if it would ever have breakfast again.

…………………

Comfort. That was the only word that Mewtwo could use to describe it. Comfort.

The hours had given him no reassurance; the memories of Giovanni and Mew, the thoughts of Ash and Kara, and the heartbroken look in his Pikachu clone's eyes as he'd sent it away… all of yesterday's discoveries had kept the psychic from sleep. But now, with the six humans and their pokémon in his sight again, he could block out some of that guilt and torment and find peace.

Comfort.

"So what do you think your mom will say when she finds that note we left her?" Brock asked Kara. The entire group, Team Rocket included, were calmly making their way through the underbrush of the woods, just out of sight of their usual place by the river.

Mewtwo was silently bringing up the rear of the traveling party, and his purple eyes were carefully scanning the trees above. There were ten figures present in their group this morning—the only one left missing was Mew.

Kara lowered her gaze slightly at Brock's question. "It _is_ telling her where we are. She'll appreciate that at least." Had it all been up to her, the brown-haired girl would have woken her mother and informed her in person, but there was no telling how Lola would have responded if she'd seen a creature like Mewtwo standing in her back yard.

"It'll be fine, Kara," Ash said cheerfully then. "All moms know they need to let their kids get out, even if it _does_ worry them."

The simple philosophy earned an intrigued glance from Mewtwo.

Kara looked at Ash sincerely. "Does _your_ mom worry?"

The boy's smile faded slightly. "All the time."

Beside Ash, Togepi chirped excitedly in Misty's arms, and its adoptive mother jerked to attention as she suddenly heard something. It was a soft snapping sound, as if a twig had been broken just over the group's heads. Slowing down, she lifted her head to peer up into the branches, and soon spotted the source of the noise.

"Oh my gosh," she said as quietly as she could. "Ash, look!"

Just like that, the rest of her comrades came to a halt and gazed up. A heartbeat later, the noisy snoop saw that it's been discovered, and gleefully leapt to the ground to greet its audience.

"_Mank!_" the little fur ball squeaked to the other pokémon in front of it. It was another Mankey.

Sitting across from it, Pikachu twitched its ears and curiously cocked its head to the side. There was no denying the newcomer's species, but unlike Kara's brown and white friend, this Mankey was covered entirely in brown fur, and was barely half as large.

"_Pika-chu?_"

Behind the cluster of children, James gawked bizarrely down at the little pig monkey. "Err…what is it?"

Meowth was equally puzzled. "It looks like it got a…"

"Poké _tan_," Jessie finished.

At that moment, Kara's Mankey bounded over to the visitor and called out to it with an uncanny playfulness. The brown Mankey responded just as happily, and sprang up onto its larger fellow's back to tug teasingly at its ears. Kara's Mankey, surprisingly enough, only chuckled at the silly gesture, then pulled the other back a bit with its prehensile tail. Still clinging to the larger pokémon's back, the brown Mankey gazed up at the humans with bright, wondering eyes.

Seeing this, Ash grinned. "Oh wow! It's just a youngster!"

"I've never seen a baby Mankey before," Misty said merrily, bending down a bit. "It's so cute!"

"_I've_ never seen a _brown_ one," Brock added. "They must be really rare."

Kara crouched down to study the two furry pokémon at eye level. "I've never seen him before either," she said, then addressed the little one. "Are you from Mankey's troop?"

The brown youngster nodded, then immediately hopped over to study Pikachu and Meowth. As soon as it reached its newest subjects, the tiny fighting pokémon began bouncing wildly around them, until Pikachu dropped onto all fours. For a moment, the Mankey stopped and met its eyes, and as soon as the yellow mouse smiled and warmly said its name, the other returned the greeting and jumped at the cat beside it.

"_Gaaa!_" Meowth squealed in terror. "Don't pounce on _me_! _He's_ the one who's the same color as a banana!"

The little Mankey only giggled and turned to poke its snout at Togepi, who had been placed on the ground to play. It lingered in front of the chirping egg creature for another minute, and then—already being familiar enough with humans—it dashed over to the only other pokémon left in sight.

Mewtwo.

The psychic had no idea how to react to such a welcoming approach. The young Mankey seemed careful at first, but the limitless fascination never left its orange eyes, and it was sniffing at Mewtwo's large gray toes in no time at all. When it was finished, it wagged its brown tail once and looked the towering figure straight in the face, perfectly unafraid. To this youngster, Mewtwo was just another pokémon, and that silent conclusion was plain enough for the clone to read even without his powers.

He could feel everybody else's eyes on him right then. The humans had all barely known their captor for two days, and yet it'd been enough for them to sense the importance of this simple encounter. The little Mankey glanced curiously back at Pikachu just then.

"_Mank mankey mank?_" it asked innocently. It wanted to know if Mewtwo could talk.

Pikachu nodded, then came forward to sit in front of the psychic as well. "_Pikachu, pi chu pika._" it pointed out to him. Mewtwo nodded slightly, never taking his eyes off of the little round pig-monkey. They _were_ all just pokémon.

The moment might have gone on longer after that, but right then, the brown Mankey heard a rustle in the distance. The youngster turned to face the noise, and before anyone else could react, it sprang straight up into the trees and was zipping off in search of the source. By then, Mewtwo could only listen fondly to the sounds of the little creature snapping twigs.

Jessie looked questioningly over at Kara. "What just happened?"

The girl shrugged. "He probably heard another Mankey."

Ash sighed as Pikachu returned to his side. Kara's guess was as good as his. In turn, Misty bent down and scooped Togepi back up.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked

Brock held up a finger. "I think—"

_Whooosh!_

_ZZZT!!_

"_MANKEY!!_"

The entire group jumped and spun around at the piercing cry; even Mewtwo was startled by it. There was a brief din as something tore away through the foliage, and then a dead silence hung in the air.

Kara and Mankey were the first ones to respond, and they quickly took off towards the distressing scene with Ash and Pikachu in tail. Into the trees, through the brushes, running and running…until they suddenly saw what had caused the horrible screech.

Standing in front of them, staring at the ground and gasping for breath, was a girl. She was short and thin, and her curly blonde hair was stuffed underneath a bright pink baseball cap. Her legs were spread wide in a defensive stance, and clutched in her gloved hands was a long metal tool that could've only been a weapon. It was a single steel shaft, lined with cold black grips, and at its end was a flat five-sided piece that held a glowing and crackling purple orb. The sudden appearance of another human this deep in the woods was shocking to Ash and Kara, but when the blonde girl finally lifted her head to gape at them, the pair was nothing short of dumbfounded.

"…_Domino?_" Ash whispered.

And that was when Mewtwo arrived.

Ash and Kara were blinded by a flare of blue light, and both tumbled to their knees as the furious psychic burst out of the bushes behind them. Mewtwo was practically fuming, and the sight of his blazing blue eyes sent Domino toppling back screaming.

"_You have no right to be here!_" he roared down at the strange girl, and without so much as a thought to who she was, he began to form a sizzling black energy ball in his hands.

Horrified, Domino let out a second scream and fled from her place with the grim looking staff. She was running. Running made no difference to Mewtwo…

But at that instant, Ash's senses returned to him.

"Mewtwo, _STOP!_" he cried, and desperately threw himself in front of the psychic, blocking him from the retreating Domino.

Mewtwo sprang back like he'd just been struck. His energy ball was gone in a cloud of smoke, and all traces of his menacing blue aura were immediately gone. For one terrible second, the gray creature looked shaken, even helpless, and his crippling past flashed through his mind.

Again this boy…Ash…was standing in his way. Again…he was willing to give his life to save another from a deadly psychic. There was no way for Mewtwo to hide his overwhelming fear from that boy's eyes now, and Kara could also see the once-proud pokémon falter painfully.

But just as soon as he'd appeared vulnerable, Mewtwo regained his icy composure. "Why?"

Words failed Ash at first. "…She's not dangerous."

"You _know_ her?!"

Misty, Brock, and Team Rocket came rushing over at that point.

"Kara!" Brock called out.

The girl was kneeling on the ground with Mankey, leaning fearfully over its little brown companion. Seeing the tiny creature lying in the grass, Brock impulsively dropped to his knees as well to examine it. As he did, the youngster shifted its petrified eyes to gaze up at him, but its trembling body made no other movement.

"What's wrong with it?" Kara gasped between breaths.

Brock wrinkled his brow sadly as he felt one of the brown Mankey's limp arms. "I…think it's paralyzed…"

Misty was almost in tears at this discovery. "Who would do such a horrible thing?!" she demanded hotly.

Oblivious to the others, Ash shakily went on. "Her name's Domino. …She's the one who brought us to the island…"

James just blinked and stared into the empty bushes past Ash. "Domino?" he echoed oddly. Jessie and Meowth said nothing.

Mewtwo spoke to Ash in a voice filled with venom. "She is a friend of yours?"

For almost a minute, Ash could not speak. He turned to the others in his muteness, as though he might find a word in one of their eyes. He saw Team Rocket's perplexed faces, Misty sobbing and hugging Togepi, Brock gathering the shivering youngster into his hands, Pikachu and Mankey crouching on either side of him, feeling just as injured…and the utter devastation reflecting in Kara's watery eyes as she held his gaze.

And then, three choking words forced their way out of is throat.

"…I guess not."

--

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soon to be updated…


	17. Revelations at Last

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XVII**

The little Mankey's injuries weren't going to be permanent.

Brock had come to this conclusion three hours after the startling incident in the woods, when he'd seen the pokémon's long brown tail starting to twitch. At any rate, its injuries would improve.

Either way, the group had agreed that the only way to help the wounded creature was to bring it back to the house. The rest of its troop couldn't be found, and the four children knew all too well that a paralyzed victim would be the perfect target for every scavenger in the area. Now, Ash, Kara, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu were sitting restlessly in Kara's living room, while the young Mankey laid on a couch pillow on the windowsill. It would be able to see outside the house from there, but this was becoming difficult to do as the evening sky started to darken.

Kara's Mankey had come inside as well, but for once, its gaze was not locked anxiously on the trees beyond that glass barrier. Instead, it was looking down into those frightened little eyes, its own filled with sympathy as it held and patted one of the tiny brown paws. It was trying to comfort the distressed youngster.

Sitting quietly on the couch, Ash observed the moving scene from a distance. They really weren't so different from people.

Across the room from him, Kara stood glumly in front of another window. The girl had been pacing back and forth between the injured Mankey and this second view of the yard ever since they'd returned, and the troubled look on her face had yet to change. She stood silently in front of the far window for a few more seconds, crutching her seashell in deep thought. Not knowing how else to deal with it, she finally voiced her discomfort.

"He's still standing there."

Misty looked up at the other girl. "Mewtwo?" she whispered, knowing that Lola might hear them from her place in the kitchen.

"He hasn't left that spot since we came back," Kara went on gravely. "I'm getting worried."

Ash stood up and came over to follow her eyes. Sure enough, through the dull evening light, he could still see Mewtwo's gray and purple outline framed by the trees. The psychic pokémon was no fool though; he'd planted himself just far enough away from the house to be overlooked by anyone else. The only reason Ash could see him now was because the dark-haired boy had also been watching him like a Spearrow over the past few hours.

Kara hadn't exaggerated. Even in the dark, Ash could see how dejected Mewtwo looked; his gray head and shoulders were slouched forward, and his normally hovering tail was almost touching the ground behind him. The tall clone's back had been turned to the house all day, and Ash cold only imagine what maddening thoughts had been stalking through his shadowy mind that entire time.

The boy couldn't bring himself to look away from that dreary figure, as his own thoughts began to dwell on that morning's events. What was Domino doing in the woods with such a horrible weapon, and why did she run away when she knew that he and Kara were her friends? But most importantly: why did Mewtwo react the way that he did? The psychic had looked about ready to kill the hapless pokémon researcher, but as soon as Ash had told him to stop, the powerful clone's fury had turned almost instantly into…what? Confusion? Resentment? Fear? The boy was still struggling with this riddle.

"Maybe we should go talk to him," he suggested quietly just then. "Maybe we should ask him what happened, and see if we can help."

Kara only gazed back at him with sad brown eyes.

………………

His hands were shaking.

Mewtwo clenched his jaw and continued to stare at the ground. The feeling of it had been plaguing him all afternoon; that slight twitching sensation that started in his fingertips, then shuddered up his arms to lightly rattle his shoulders. It'd barely been noticeable at first, but it was slowly spreading, and now it had taken hold of him to the point where he could barely contain it.

He was losing control.

"This feeling…" he murmured to himself. "This…_powerlessness_… Will it never leave me, this _torment?_ This torture fit for enslavement?"

He slowly balled his hands into fists, unable to do anything else.

"…Why will it not?"

He was only grateful that the three Team Rocket members were fast asleep off to his left—he couldn't bare the thought of showing such a weakness in front of them. But as he soon discovered, the psychic could do nothing to hide his torment from two other humans.

"Mewtwo?"

The clone lifted his head in surprise, but didn't turn around. It was Ash's voice, and Mewtwo could sense Kara's quiet presence behind him as well. The two children were standing side-by-side as they watched him, and their reluctant subject knew exactly why they had come.

Seeing the pokémon's reaction, Ash continued carefully. "...What's wrong?"

There was no way for Mewtwo to deny his dread now. Not in front of these two.

"Your acquaintance in the forest," the tall creature answered darkly. "She attacked that young pokémon for no reason. Like it was nothing to her—only an object."

Ash and Kara both frowned in response, then the boy stepped forward. "Maybe it was an accident," he offered sheepishly. "She _did_ look pretty surprised when we found her. And she probably just ran away because we all scared her."

Mewtwo's gaze became internal. "Perhaps…" he said unconvincingly.

There was an even heavier silence as the children observed their mysterious companion. They had both come to respect him somehow, and from that respect, a strange connection had formed. For some unknown reason, the pair both felt compelled to understand this creature, and that was why Kara pulled all of her courage together right then and walked up to stand at Mewtwo's side.

The little Mankey's injury had hurt her just as deeply as it had disturbed Mewtwo—and that was the only common ground that she needed to sympathize with him.

"_We_ would never hurt pokémon," she said gently, looking up at the psychic's stone-like face. "Ash and me. Brock and Misty. We all care about pokémon, and so does everyone else on this island."

Her sincere words had no impact on Mewtwo. "_Almost_ everyone," he corrected darkly.

The light left Kara's eyes slightly. "You can't just look at something that one person does."

"But how can I overlook it?"

She gave him the simplest answer she could think of. "By looking at everyone else."

This statement had impressed the gray cat no more than her last one, but it earned a bleak glance from him at least. Mewtwo could plainly see a change in Kara; she was no longer the awkward, backwards girl that he'd met two days ago, but a strong-willed figure speaking up for her people. Even so, the clone knew how unreliable the words of this isolated child could be.

Ash, on the other hand, totally agreed with Kara.

"She's right, Mewtwo," he said, walking closer to the quiet pair. "People aren't that bad. You just have to give them a chance."

There was a pause as Mewtwo turned his head to gaze forward, reflecting on these words. Ash and Kara both watched him with some expectancy, hoping for a miracle, and then the psychic spoke.

"I once believed that one human's actions could not change my thoughts of his entire race," he said deeply. Then suddenly, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. "But now…I do not know what to believe."

Just like that, the hopefulness was gone. Ash stepped back slightly, as if Mewtwo's weary conclusion had stung him. Beside him, Kara only dropped her gaze and gave a faint nod. The two exchanged a brief look, then turned and slowly made their way back to the house.

Words could do nothing for Mewtwo—at least not right now.

For an entire minute, the gray and purple creature stayed in his dreary stance, debating.

"They care," he murmured to himself. "They respect pokémon. They treat them as equals. But _only they_ do…" His trembling fists clenched even tighter just then, and with a shuddering sigh, he accepted the horrible truth.

Mewtwo had lost his fight.

"They must have no memory of us," he whispered heavily. "The boy…_he_ must forget me once more…"

And that was when Mewtwo discovered that he still wasn't alone.

"_Mew!_"

The taller creature's head snapped up at the sound of the name. Before he could make so much as a startled gasp, the tiny pink pokémon sprang out of the trees and began zipping about emphatically. Mew immediately continued speaking.

"_Mew mew mewmew mew mewmew mew! Mewmew mew mewmewmew mew mew mew! Mew mew!_"

Her point was clear: a person could not have so many holes in his memory, and the past itself could not be erased.

Mewtwo quickly regained his composure and flicked his tail defensively. "I _know_ I cannot erase the past. But I can make them forget it this time."

Despite his stubbornness, Mew continued her insistent chattering.

"You do not understand!" Mewtwo cut her off sharply. "_I have no choice_." He turned away then, and his voice softened as the memory of Domino returned to him.

"We are clones… copies…products of science. If humans cannot accept _real_ pokémon as living creatures…" He closed his eyes and lowered his head again, the sadness of the truth fully setting over him. "…Then they will not accept_ us_."

There was a moment of silence, then Mew hovered closer to her clone's turned back.

"_Mew mewmew mew," _she pointed out gently. Two humans already had.

Mewtwo immediately spun back around to glare at the pink cat. "Leave Kara out of this!" he spat angrily. "_And_ Ash!"

But ignoring his rage, Mew resumed her quick speaking.

"Again, you say that these humans are good to pokémon," Mewtwo observed suspiciously as he listened. "That living among them is the best thing for me."

He narrowed his purple eyes just then, finally seeing through Mew. "So, you knew of their presence here all along. That is why you showed me this island, and that is why you returned; to see that I did not leave."

"_Mew,_" the other calmly confirmed with a nod. The truth was out, and she wasn't at all ashamed of it.

Mewtwo smiled wryly, not without a hint of admiration and self-pride. "Your craftiness surprises even me. Why then did you not remain with my company from the beginning? Why did you leave after bringing us here?"

"_Mew mewmew. Mew mew, mew mew._"

Mewtwo stepped back as the smile faded. Mew's words were sincere, not taunting. The realization of what he'd just heard sank in fully then, and the clone felt a strange sensation of guilt. Mew had not returned to mock him, but to _help_ him.

"You wanted me to find myself," he finally translated. The tall creature looked away once more. "…But I am afraid I have failed to do that." He paused as he looked to Kara's distant house. Even from back here, he could just see his reflection in the windows.

"_Who am I? What is my purpose?_ Long have these questions haunted my dreams. I was not born into this world. I was created by humans." He turned back to stare up at Mew, and a hint of his old resentment returned. "I was made only to replace you. To live my life as nothing more than your copy."

Mew shook her head. "_Mew mewmew mew mew. Mew mew._"

"_How_ am I different?" Mewtwo pressed on, his patience waning.

Once again, Mew launched into speech and hovered closer to him. In turn, the bitter clone grasped every word as he translated.

"You say I have seen things…that you have not. Learned things that you have not. You believe we do not think the same. It is our _minds_ that make us individuals …that truly define us. I should not see myself as a copy…but rather…as a _son?_"

Mewtwo instantly jerked back, terribly caught off guard. "Or as a _brother?_" he finished.

"_Mew mew!_" she nodded brightly.

For the first time that day, he gazed straight into those blue eyes, and his voice became breathless with realization. "So it is a _bond_ then. A bond between us that creates these dreams. Our powers connect us. They enable us to see one another, even when we are apart."

He stopped to reflect in amazement as those once plaguing dreams returned to his mind. "So when I see you in the water…when I see you flying over the trees…I see the _real_ you!"

The smaller pokémon glanced off to the side. "_Mew._"

Mewtwo continued to gawk up at her with another discovery. "…Then _you_ must see me in _your_ dreams. That was how you first found me on New Island. It was not my storm that brought you there; it was my _mind!_"

Mew suddenly burst into giggles, and his answer was confirmed. The gray psychic smiled again, warmly now, and gazed upon his former enemy in a new light.

It was like he was seeing her for the very first time. Their battle on New Island, the bitter arguments, his lifelong resentment for a creature he had barely known…it was all coming back to him in that single moment, and he was banishing it all from his mind with joy as he finally realized a truth that he had blindly refused to see.

Mew had _never_ been his enemy.

Words could not describe the overwhelming emotion that Mewtwo felt as he held his fellow psychic's gaze, allowing her to fly closer.

"Thank you," he said as he extended a hand. Without hesitation, Mew reached out as well and touched her tiny fingers to the center of his palm. The unfathomable emotion stirred even deeper inside Mewtwo, and he paused to observe just how small Mew's hand was next to his. Even now, it awed him that something so small could yield so much power, and there wasn't a single part of his uplifted being that wanted to break this contact.

For almost a minute, the two stayed this way.

Mewtwo watched the tiny pink creature fondly, gratefully. If he could share this bond with Mew, a _real_ pokémon, then perhaps he truly _was_ a real pokémon himself. A real brother.

"Thank you for helping me find this answer."

Mew softly purred her name in response, her eyes shimmering with the same warmth she saw in Mewtwo's. Then slowly, the two finally pulled their hands away.

"Get some rest now, my sister," Mewtwo said serenely.

The instant he'd finished, Mew whirled playfully back around, and with a final yip, she was off. Her tiny pale shape was a sharp contrast to the blackness as she darted up and across the sky, and after a few minutes, she had reached her destination: the crater of Mt. Ivory. Mew stopped to look down at the shimmering lake below her, then forming a glowing pink bubble around herself, she dove under the water's surface.

Her brother watched the spot in the sky where she'd been, his grief forgotten.

"I must find my purpose now, on my own."

…………………

Agent 009's eyes were glued to her wrist device.

"It sounded like they mentioned two of the kids," she reported swiftly to her boss. "The boy and girl who left earlier, I'm guessing. There may be a connection between them and the two pokémon."

She was feverishly transmitting images as she spoke, and just ninety kilometers away, Giovanni was silently watching them from his helicopter. Once again, he was seeing the likenesses of Mew and Mewtwo together in front of him, frozen in pixels.

"There's another thing here," Agent 009 added quickly, and her last picture appeared on the enormous screen a second later. "I'm not sure what it means."

Giovanni easily recognized Mewtwo's three-fingered hand, and could see that the much smaller one in its palm belonged to Mew. Still saying nothing, the Team Rocket leader smiled deviously.

"The first squad will be arriving on Ivory Island in less than an hour," the agent went on. "What should I do, sir?"

"Meet them at the landing site," Giovanni ordered coolly. His greedy glare shifted over to that tiny pink hand, and a sneer of a smile appeared on his lips.

"I believe we can use this information to our advantage."

--

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

soon to be updated…


	18. The Enemy Arrives

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XVIII**

Jerry Mason usually liked mornings. They always seemed to bring good things with them: sunlight, serenity—and of course, the considerable number of customers who swarmed into his diner for breakfast. Jerry was no penny-pincher, but he was still a sane businessman, and he knew from experience that mornings on Ivory Island tended to be very profitable, and that made them rather enjoyable.

Somehow though, he wasn't enjoying this morning as much as he should have.

"Shelly!" he called out from behind the main counter. "Where're the fish patties?"

Across the diner, the young waitress turned with a swoop of her dark blonde ponytail to stare at him. "Aren't they in the kitchen?" she asked.

"That's where I _had_ them," Jerry answered, "but they're gone now! What'd you do with them?"

"I didn't do anything!" Shelly called back indignantly. "Maybe Tony put them back in the storage room!"

Two customers seated at the counter were staring at Jerry now, somewhat amused by the man's mundane dilemma. Feeling their eyes on him, the owner of _Jerry's Place_ did his best to hide his frustration.

"No, he can't find them either. How does a whole box of fish patties just disappear?"

As soon as he'd said this though, a horrible possibility crept through his mind, and Jerry whirled around to dash back through the kitchen doors. From there, he made a sharp left and darted through another door across from the storage freezer. He heard Tony, his cook, yell something at him, but ignored it; he had something infinitely more important to check on first.

Sure enough, the instant he flung open that grease-stained door, the worst of Jerry's fears was confirmed.

"Slow-Man!" he shouted, looking horrified. A few meters away, almost oblivious to him, an aging Slowpoke pulled its head out of a cardboard box and blinked up at the man. Sure enough, the old pokémon was dopily munching away at one of the sought-after patties.

Jerry frantically rushed over and snatched up the box. "Gimme that! I've got three people ordering these things!" He glared down at the Slowpoke, calming slightly. "Look, I told you: you're only allowed to eat what I bring back here! Just wait a few minutes! There'll be leftovers on the tables in no time!"

Lazily swallowing its frozen breakfast, the dusty pink creature lifted its head to stare up at the man, seeming in a daze. "_Slow…poke…_"

Jerry paused, then frowned. "Alright, here," he said, then pulled another fish patty out of the box and handed it down to his silly plate-cleaner. Sometimes Slow-Man was just too dim-witted not to love.

But before it was finished with the surrendered snack, the chubby pokémon stopped and lifted its head, seeming curious. Behind it, its white-tipped tail went rigid, and seeing this strange reaction, Jerry glanced at the wall behind him to see if something wasn't right.

"_Now_ what's wrong?" he asked oddly.

A second later, he found out.

_Chopa-chopa-chopa-chopa!_

Jerry whirled around to stare at the doorway, and before he could voice his confusion about the sudden racket, Tony came barging into the room. The cook had obviously been startled by the sound even more than him, as a bright yellow coating of egg yolks now clung to the front of his white apron. Tony gawked at the manager as if a cloud of Gengar had just flown past the kitchen window.

"Jerry!" he shouted. "Come out here! Quick!"

In two minutes, both men and nearly everyone else in the diner were outside, swarming around the tiny blue-gray building as they watched the dramatic scene unfolding high above them. Just overhead, looking even blacker against the blinding morning sky, were at least a dozen helicopters, and every one of the menacing shapes was marked with a single blood red letter.

Beside Jerry on the ground, Shelly shaded her eyes to squint up at the choppers.

"_That's_ not gonna be good for business," she commented flatly.

………………

The sound of the arriving Rocket fleet hadn't gone unnoticed in Mt. Ivory's crater either. The entire haven was churning with startled clones now, and as the chopping of those deafening blades grew louder, the pokémon began to panic in the worst possible way. Their fortress's sloping walls were like a bowl, keeping them from seeing their enemy's approach, and the fear of not knowing when they would strike kept the scrambling creatures from even attempting an escape. What had once been their sanctuary had now become a death trap.

"_Pika!_"

All the little yellow clone had seen was the Blastoise's shell rushing towards it as the blue and brown hulk stumbled, brutally shoved by the retreating Venusaur. The Pikachu instinctively yelped, but an instant before the behemoth came down on top of it, a pair of tiny green vines shot forward to the rescue. Before it could even comprehend its luck, the electric mouse was snatched up by its Bulbasaur comrade and pulled to safety.

The grass pokémon gazed up at its friend with wide eyes. "_Bulba?_"

"_Cha!_" the Pikachu confirmed, then they both looked to the crater's lake. At the edge of the water, they saw the Squirtle clone diving into the waves for cover, looking oddly determined as it seemed to prepare itself for a deep plunge. It was swiftly followed into the haven by the Golduck, which lugged the Psyduck under one of its massive blue arms.

At the lake's center, most of the other water pokémon were hiding in a similar fashion; only the Gyrados remained defiantly at the surface. Behind the two tiny onlookers, the Blastoise clone rose to its feet once more and angrily cocked its hidden cannons. It refused to even go into the lake.

Over on the drier land, the rest of the clones were in a similar situation. Most were trying to hide, either by ducking behind boulders or wedging themselves into deep crevasses in the sides of the crater walls. The Sandslash clone was even clawing at the ground in an attempt to dig a safety burrow, and it was obvious that its Vulpix and Meowth helpers were planning to climb in after it.

Then there was the Charizard, which was glaring daggers up at the din of the approaching helicopters. The fire pokémon looked like it wanted to tear apart the entire fleet right then and there, and from the sound of its roar, it was clear that the winged beast believed it could. The noise continued to grow louder, and the minute that dreadful sound reached the brim of the crater, the determined fire lizard took wing.

None of the cowering clones even had time to react to what happened next.

The Charizard sprang into the air spewing flames, and less than a heartbeat later, a streak of red light shot back towards it through the stream of fire. The red beam hit its target square in the face, and the Charizard's wings buckled immediately…but it never fell. The orange creature was suspended in midair by its glowing prison, dangling limply over the crater floor, and it remained in this horrifying state for a chillingly long second.

And then it was gone.

The Pikachu clone gazed up at the empty air, dumbfounded. The Charizard was gone. Gone! It'd just zipped straight out of sight, as if some monstrous black hole had sucked it away! It was _gone!_

A moment later, a new flying figure arrived in its place.

_Chopa-chopa-chopa-chopa!_

Angry and confused all at once, the Gyrados glared up at the first helicopter and let loose with a blinding Hyper Beam. Just as quickly as its beaten comrade, the water dragon was stunned and captured, and its limp form was sent hurling towards that gaping vacuum hose as it glowed red.

"_PIKACHU!!_"

It was all happening too quickly. In one instant, nearly half of the clones were caught in the helicopters' beams, and no matter how loudly the Pikachu screamed for them to stop, they continued launching their attacks at Team Rocket's fleet. It was plain to all of them now that these machines were drawn to their energy, but Mewtwo was gone, and with their captors viciously closing in, the cornered clones refused to be taken without a fight.

But there was still one psychic in their midst.

Far below the surface of the churning lake, still curled inside her bubble, Mew began to stir. There was some commotion going on above her, and the sounds of chopper blades and pokémon screams echoed sharply in her head. At last, the tiny pink creature opened her eyes and peered up at the drama, fully alert. She saw a Dewgong near the surface, firing a stream of bubbles at a helicopter, only to be struck with a bolt of crimson and pulled clear from the water. Overhead, the Nidoqueen clone was already airborne.

The entire world above Mew seemed to be swarming with the kicking, struggling shapes of pokémon, but in the middle of all of this chaos, she could make out one small figure that hadn't been snared yet. It was the Squirtle, and it was swimming down towards her.

Despite the peril behind it, the little blue turtle kept its distance as it gazed down at the psychic it'd been searching for. Even from here, it could see just how small she was—barely the size of its Pikachu friend—but it knew full well that it beheld one of the world's most powerful creatures. And that was why the Squirtle wasn't backing away either.

Mew held its gaze, and the message in the clone's brown eyes was plain to see: _Help. Please help us now, or bring us help. Just help us._

Inside her bubble, Mew chirped her name, promising. She would help.

Then all of a sudden, Team Rocket's energy binders cut their exchange short. A single beam of light came streaking down through the water, now using the power it'd stolen from its other captives, and savagely engulfed the Squirtle. The little pokémon let out a muffled yelp, and before it could struggle, it was hauled swiftly to the surface. Mew squeaked softly at the abrupt attack, and an odd wave of emotion came over her just then. She had connected with that Squirtle clone in their brief encounter, and now that it was in trouble, after pleading for aid like a cornered youngling, she felt…concerned?

It was too late to do anything here, too overwhelming to help the clones now. The red light had grown too strong, enough that it could snatch up its enemies without being provoked anymore. A movement, a breath, a heartbeat…_anything_ could draw it to her now.

Seeing no other way out, Mew turned her focus inward and chose to rely on her one remaining strength: thought.

Above on the crater's rocky ground, the Pikachu and Bulbasaur were on the run. The energy beams on the helicopters were glowing their absolute brightest now, and after witnessing how the horrible devices functioned, they realized what this meant. Somewhere in this ruined haven, a pokémon was harnessing its powers.

The two clones saw one more of their fellows sailing into the air, captured—the Squirtle! The Pikachu frantically shouted to its helpless companion, but the blue and brown turtle only glanced back at it calmly.

"_Squirtle…_" it answered, dazed. Help was coming.

"_Pi_…" the Pikachu softly echoed. Help. There was only one individual that it could ever accociate with that word…

A pair of scarlet streaks sprang from the glowing devices, the last two of this capturing spree. One went tearing down into the lake's waters, leaving an ugly purple ripple on its impact. The other came straight towards the two clones.

The Pikachu and Bulbasaur shrieked in unison as the world around them turned blinding red, and the last thought that the yellow mouse could form before blacking out was the name of its missing master.

Under the lake's surface, the glow cut through its watery path as easily as before. There was an incredible surge of power just ahead, drawing it in faster, and in less than a second, the hungry beam reached its destination.

But by the time it arrived, there was nothing left to capture but an empty pink bubble.

…………………

To Mewtwo, the feeling of a lifted burden was foreign.

It was _incredible_; all of the things that had once plagued him suddenly seemed so trivial now. His words with Mew last night had completely changed his dreary view of everything, including himself, and for the first time in his life, Mewtwo felt genuine happiness. Still, there was a small part of him that almost _wanted_ to worry about something—the psychic cat had been tormented for so long that he simply couldn't grasp the idea of a carefree existence so quickly. He smiled at the thought just then. It was as laughable as a panicked flock of Zubat.

Well, _almost_ as laughable.

Fortunately, Ash, Kara, and the other humans were nearby to help the psychic with his optimistic transition. Standing in the clearing by Kara's house again, Mewtwo eyed the brown-haired girl expectantly.

"How is the young pokémon this morning?" he asked in his calmest tone. "Has its condition improved?"

Kara looked back at him, and he could see that the liveliness had returned to her eyes as well. "It has," she confirmed brightly. "He can move his arms and legs fine now. Brock even saw him jump onto a bookshelf this morning, but he has trouble keeping his balance."

A warmer note crept into the tall creature's voice then. "Perhaps it is best not to dwell on just that."

She noticed the recollection in his tone, then calmly smiled.

The peaceful moment was not meant to last though. A short distance away from Mewtwo, Ash sat in the grass with his pokédex, searching eagerly through it once again. The boy had a feeling that Mewtwo was hiding something important from him in this mystery, some explanation of why they both seemed to know each other, and he had spent nearly the entire morning investigating on his pocket device. There had to have been some sort of encounter. There _had_ to be!

Sitting in front of him, Pikachu blinked up at its trainer, listening as Ash murmured to himself.

"Hmm, psychic. Let's see. Abra, Kadabra, Hypno, Drowzee…no…hey wait!" The young trainer suddenly lit up as a curious figure appeared on the tiny screen.

"Mew," the pokédex droned. "A once legendary species of the psychic element, this species was recently discovered to still exist. Many more sightings have been reported to date, but Mew retains its title as the world's rarest pokémon."

Ash was utterly beaming. "Then I _have_ seen them before!"

But no sooner had he said this than an urgent "_Mew!_" was heard from the trees ahead, and the pokédex's newest identification came zipping into view.

Seeing the dejected look on Ash's face, Brock frowned. "Maybe your pokédex isn't the only thing with a faulty memory," he offered uselessly. Ash looked up at him, seeming to consider this.

Mew darted past the two boys, ignoring them. Likewise, she gave no acknowledgement to Misty and Team Rocket as she passed them; her blue eyes were locked straight on Mewtwo, and she didn't come to a halt until she was hovering directly in front of her brother psychic.

"_Mew! Mew mewmew mew! Mew!_" The little pink critter was darting left and right all the while as she spoke.

Mewtwo stared back at her in disbelief. "_What?_"

"_Mew mew! Mewew, mewmew mew!_"

Hearing the sharpness of the words, Misty warily picked Togepi up. "What's it saying?"

And just like that, all of the life was drained from Mewtwo's face as his old dread returned. "…They…they're _here_," he answered. His voice was as stunned as his expression.

Ash blinked. "Who is?"

The pale-faced psychic didn't even look at him. "The agents…"

Mewtwo's voice trailed off suddenly. This couldn't be possible. A year of anger, doubt, and frustration, and then a brief spell of joy that was instantly destroyed by his worst fear. How was this happening? _Why_ was it happening? Perhaps that one part of his mind had been right to worry all along.

The psychic quickly shoved his thoughts aside. Now was not the time to grieve over his own selfish misfortunes. Mew's explanation had been hurried and vague, but her meaning was plain enough: Team Rocket was here, and he now had to return to his clones.

But he still had to deal with the humans.

Hesitating, Mewtwo turned to regard the six and their pokémon. "Return to your dwelling," he said flatly. "We must leave now, and you will only slow us down if you accompany us."

Ash stepped forward, concerned. "Wait! Where are you going, Mewtwo?"

"To the mountain," the gray cat answered. "To the others."

Beside Ash, Kara was equally troubled. "But you can't just leave us here! What are you gonna do?"

"I will do what I must."

But Ash didn't want to hear this. He and everyone else knew exactly who these "agents" were. "She's right, Mewtwo! If Team Rocket's coming here to get you, then we can help! My friends and I've run into them before! We'll know what to do, even if there _is_ something you haven't told us!"

Mewtwo's head was whirling with dreadful thoughts of the matter awaiting him, but he reluctantly paused to glare at the boy. Seeing that he'd earned his mystery acquaintance's attention, Ash went on.

"You're not running away from us. I won't let you."

Mewtwo's face turned to stone. It was the last words that sank in the deepest with him. This was not the first time he'd heard those words from Ash; the boy always knew when something wrong was approaching, and he never hesitated to stand in its path when he saw it coming. The psychic withheld a wistful sigh. The world could never be as simple and innocent as Ash believed it was.

"I am asking you to remain here with your own free will," Mewtwo said solemnly, meeting the dark-haired boy's strong gaze. "Do not force me to use any other means."

And with that, he turned to Mew, and the two were off. Squaring his jaw, Ash could do nothing but watch as their dwindling outlines rose higher and higher into the morning sky. When he could no longer make out either of them, he turned expectantly to the others. He was angry for some reason right now; for all he knew, Mewtwo had been pushing him away, and something told him that the stubborn psychic cat needed every ounce of the help that was being offered. From the sounds of things, every clone on Mt. Ivory needed it, and Ash Ketchum wasn't the type who let innocent bystanders take a fall like this.

"What do we do now?" he asked his friends.

Kara lifted her determined eyes to the sky as well, and a surprisingly sneaky shadow drifted over her face.

"We do what he says," she answered Ash slyly. "We return to my dwelling."

…………………

If anyone from the outside world were to ask about Ivory Island's legendary mountain, the tale would always remain the same: Mt. Ivory was a symbol of strength, a once terrible volcano that towered over its quiet island home, and it could never be conquered or climbed by any force as insignificant as the human race. Despite these tall tales, and the mountain's obviously daunting appearance, Kara insisted that it was in fact climbable. The human race just needed the right tools—and a number of those tools could be found right in her own cellar.

"Okay," she said in between gasps. The company was making their way back to the house through the foliage, and breathing had taken a back seat to their plan for the moment. "There's a length of rope in a cupboard in our cellar, and my mom has a little anchor hanging from the ceiling. It might work as a hook."

Ash nodded. "Our pokémon'll be able to do the rest!"

At last, the group reached the house, and they slowed only slightly to keep front tripping onto the back porch. Bringing up the rear, Jessie, James, and Meowth suddenly slowed their pace.

James bent over to clutch his knees in exhaustion. "Why are we…doing this…Jessie?" he wheezed pathetically. "Why're we helping the twerps?"

"Yeah," Meowth chimed in, less winded. "Lendin' a helpin' paw to the good guys! We's might be goin' out on a _high_ note if we sinks any _lower!_"

Doubled over beside James, Jessie seemed equally worn out. "Maybe we secretly want to root for the winning team," she suggested half-heartedly.

"But that means we're rooting against the _Rocket_ team!" James pointed out nervously.

"He's got a point, Jess," Meowth agreed. "We's skatin' on thin ice wit this one."

"And by the end, we'll all be in _hot water_ with the boss!" James finished.

"Then perhaps we should use our _home team advantage_," Jessie concluded. "We'll be _swimming_ home without it."

The tired trio sighed and turned to give Kara's house a final farewell glance. "Team Rocket's backing down again."

Leaping onto the back porch, the four children were oblivious to the deserters. The door was a few steps in front of them, and Ash eagerly reached forward to grab the knob. A second later, he and the others were all inside, a step closer to the equipment they so direly needed.

But they weren't alone.

Ash froze in mid-step, seeing the petite figure standing across the room from him, clutching a long metal tool. It was a girl, barely taller than him, and although her back was turned, he instantly recognized the wide, golden curls that hung down from under her sharp black ball cap.

"…Domino?" he asked, baffled.

Hearing her name, the girl turned to look at him. As she did, she shifted her weight aside to one leg, revealing another woman behind her. It was Lola, and the frightened-looking mom was tied to one of her own kitchen chairs as a Murkrow eyed her from atop the bookshelf.

Seeing the staggered looks on her new audience's faces, Domino smiled and came forward.

"I prefer 009, actually," she corrected Ash devilishly, and without another word, she lifted her metal device, revealing the wicked purple orb that crackled inside its headpiece.

And then with a face of cold steel, she swung it at them.

--

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Soon to be updated…


	19. Surprise Rescuers

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XIX**

Giovanni viewed his current situation the same way that he viewed everything else: pleasantly unsurprised. Whether it was through money, force, or the sheer infamy of Team Rocket's name, the cunning leader always found the way from Point A to Point B. Greed was a useful tool for a man with power. It kept him from accepting failure.

And today, it seemed, Giovanni's greed would soon pay off.

"We have Mew and Mewtwo on our scanners, sir," a young male agent reported anxiously on the video screen. "They're heading west towards the crater—together."

"Very good," Giovanni replied coolly. "Transport the captured clones down to our ship. We shall keep them in the hold until our arrival back to headquarters. But first transfer their stored energy over my helicopter's device. Quickly!"

"Yes, sir." Then the image of the agent's face disappeared, revealing his helicopter through the now-transparent window. Beneath the black vessel, its active energy binders suddenly glowed even brighter, and a red beam of the clone's stolen power shot out from the end of the wicked machine. Although he couldn't see from his place inside his transport, Giovanni knew that the binders beneath his own chopper were absorbing that beam. A minute passed, and the light coming from his underling's vehicle crackled and disappeared. The transfer was complete.

The young agent's voice dutifully confirmed this, and with a swift order, the Team Rocket leader sent him off to complete his second task. Still seated, Giovanni calmly watched the other helicopter resume its descent down the slope of the mountain, then turned his attention to the communication controls on his chair's armrest. Without missing a beat, he pushed a black button at the top of the small panel and spoke.

"Lieutenant," he called to his ground troops gathering inside the crater.

"Yes, Boss?" another voice responded from the other end of the line.

"Do we still have the two psychics on our scanners?"

There was a pause, and the lieutenant's gruff voice answered, "We do, sir. They should be arriving in a few minutes."

Giovanni removed his finger from the black button and addressed his helicopter's pilot then. "Captain, increase maximum power flow to the energy binders." He leaned back in his chair then, preparing to witness the only surprise of today's attack.

"Be ready at my command."

…………………

Jerry let out a frustrated growl and ran his hand down his face.

"Slow-Man!" he called again. "Stop clowning around and get back here _right now!_"

Across the road, Slow-Man was oblivious to its master's shouting. The chubby pink pokémon had been on the alert ever since the helicopters had arrived, and it was now making sluggish laps around a phone pole in front of the local Laundromat. Shelly, Tony, and the handful of customers who hadn't run home yet were taking cover inside the diner now, but Jerry wasn't about to go in after them without his Slowpoke. Unfortunately, his strategy of convincing the wayward pet to come back by itself was proving useless.

"_Slow…slow…slow…_" Slow-Man panted as it continued running in circles.

"Alright, that's it!" the antsy manager snapped, and he finally hurried up to the critter. "I'm gonna drag you inside by the _tail_ if I have to!"

But before he reached the Slowpoke, two other troubled pokémon made their presences known.

"_Spear! Row! Spear! Row!_"

Jerry stopped and looked up, confused. Above him, two Spearow were flying about in the same dizzy circles, squawking their names over and over in some sort of pattern. For a moment, the man forgot his dilemma and gazed up at the pair, wondering what they were saying. A second later, a Pidgey flew into sight and fell into line with the Spearow, followed by the rest of its tiny flock.

A low grunt sounded out from a tree beyond the Laundromat, and squinting to see it, Jerry spotted a Pineco swinging sharply back and forth on one of its bows. Hearing the odd creature's grumbling, a fat green Spinarak suddenly dropped into view and began squeaking its own name in turn.

Realization hit Jerry like a sack of his frozen fish patties. The pokémon were all calling to each other—they were gathering together! But for what?

Shelly's dark blonde head poked out from behind the diner door. "Jerry!" she shouted. "What're you doing out there? Come on!"

Her boss would have gladly complied to this suggestion, but for some strange reason, he didn't budge. Pokémon were appearing all around him, rapidly filling up the spaces that retreating humans had left empty. Unlike his customers and coworkers hiding inside, these creatures were ignoring their fear and teaming up with a determination that Jerry had never seen in them before.

Likewise, Shelly blinked curiously, and forgetting her worries, she stepped fully outside to get a better look at the unfolding scene. A few doors down, a middle-aged man peered out of his living room window with the same perplexed look. The pokémon were clearly planning to do something about their newly arrived intruders.

But what exactly?

…………………

Domino had made short work of capturing Ash and the others. The surprise of her true identity had been enough to stop all of them in their tracks, but she'd still seen fit to use her energy staff in the scuffle. That just gave the shock a slightly more…_physical_ effect. From there, she'd dragged her aching human hostages into four more chairs and tied them up in the same manner as Lola. Their pokémon, the Pikachu, Mankey, and Togepi, were currently tied together in a dazed huddle on the floor.

The petite Rocket agent smirked to herself as she finished the knots on Misty's bonds. "There you go, guys," she chirped with mock sincerity. "Now you'll be nice and safe here while our team handles all those dangerous clones."

"_Grsh!_ How could you do this to us, you little backstabber?!" Misty demanded hotly. The kicking, struggling redhead looked like she might tip her whole chair over.

"I can't believe I ever found you attractive!" Brock chimed in uselessly.

Domino was unfazed. "I don't see how you can give _me_ all the credit for this," she pointed out sweetly. "I only found Mew and Mewtwo after you told me where to look. It pays off when you ask for help."

Her Murkrow cawed from its place on the bookshelf, seconding this.

Ash glared straight at the blonde traitor for all she was worth. "What are you after these pokémon for anyway, Domino? They just wanna be left alone!"

"Spare me the sob stories, kiddo," she said with a dismissing wave. "I'm here for business. Team Rocket doesn't reach the top by feeling sorry for the merchandise."

She spread her arms coolly as she went on in a mystical tone. "Mew and Mewtwo are two of a kind. The rarest pokémon in the world and its only living duplicate. How can a growing power like Team Rocket pass up a deal like that?"

"Were you trying to bag that deal yesterday when you hurt that Mankey?" Kara jumped in with disgust. Her glowering eyes were the mirror image of Ash's.

The harsh words only earned a sly grin from the agent. "Of course not! I was just looking for a souvenir to bring home. Now there's a big pretty Sunflora out there that owes you all a thank-you."

Ash and Kara both went silent as the pieces fell into place. They hadn't been mistaken yesterday afternoon; Domino really _had _struck the little brown creature only out of startled defense—it was her _original_ objective that she'd been focusing the cruelness on.

At that moment, Brock decided to speak up. "So you wanted a Sunflora to show off, and you want Mew and Mewtwo to do your dirty work for you. What do you want the other clones for?"

"Research, of course. The only thing unique about any of _those_ pokémon is their origin, and once we run enough experiments on them, we'll find a way to make more. If Mew can be copied, any species can. Groudon, Entei, Articuno—we can have any pokémon we want after we master the technique!"

Domino swept up a nylon bag from the floor just then and retrieved four long pieces of cloth: gags. "Anyway, I have places to be, and I'd hate for you to continue the conversation without me, so I'm putting these on you."

With that, she made her way over to the nearest child, Kara. Domino barely even looked at the girl as she sorted through the gags, but it was plain enough that the angry leer hadn't left the young local's face.

"There's no need to be mad," Domino said simply. "I'm just making you look even _more_ like your mom!"

The comment brought a furious light into Lola's eyes, and the restrained mother let out a muffled shout as she struggled in her chair. Beside her, Ash made his own attempt to wriggle free, but his bonds held tight. Seeing this, he growled and stared down at the floor, dejected.

And then he heard something.

It was very faint, enough for nobody else in the room to hear it, but from his position closest to the door, Ash could just make out that it was a soft grunt. Puzzled, he turned his head to look out the window. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of a tiny pokémon peeking in from the other side of the glass. It was the little brown Mankey, and as soon as it saw Ash's eyes on it, the youngster jerked back out of sight.

Ash instantly dropped his grudged expression and sat up. The little Mankey hadn't been captured! It must have heard Domino coming and been well enough to get away in time! But if it was able to run again, why was it still near the house? The boy continued staring at the empty window, pondering this. On the floor, Mankey and Pikachu suddenly perked up as well.

Before she could apply Kara's gag, Domino caught sight of Ash and turned to observe him. "What are you looking at?" she demanded.

Ash snapped back to attention at her words, and returned the girl's stare as defiantly as he could. "Nothing."

Years of working for Team Rocket had taught Domino to never believe such an obvious lie. Her cold gaze immediately flew to the door, and without a word, she strode across the room and sharply jiggled the knob. It was locked, just like she'd left it; nothing could get inside. However, what might be waiting for her _outside_ was a different matter. Domino strained her ears and leaned closer to the door, waiting intently for a sound.

A second later, another, much larger face appeared in the window next to her.

"_Primeape_."

The Rocket agent instinctively jumped back and gawked out the window. Looking back at her as it hung upside-down was a full-grown Primeape, and even beneath its bristly white fur, she could see the veins bulging on its forehead. Once it saw that this puny human was looking at it, the giant pig monkey jerked its head forward with a frightening "_BLAH!_"

Domino made the tiniest gasp of shock as she quickly stepped away. As soon as she did, a Mankey and second Primeape sprang up to glare in through the room's other window. The latter of the two announced their arrival with a piercing "_PRIME-APE!!_" that made every person in the house whirl around to see them.

"_MANK! MANKEEEY!_" its smaller counterpart chimed in with equal fury. Recognizing these pokémon, Kara's Mankey added its own angry shout to the mix.

The arrivals didn't end there.

The first Primeape swung down to stand upright on the window ledge, and a pair of livid Mankey rose up to flank it. The minute these two were positioned, a third and fourth Primeape appeared in the other window, and the sound of several heavy things thumping onto the roof was heard. Domino snapped her head up to listen to the shrill cries that followed, then a hulking shadow suddenly blotted out the strip of light shining under the door. As their captor hurried to grab her energy staff, Ash and the others gazed around in fright. The entire house was surrounded by Mankey and Primeape, and every single one of the seething beasts seemed to have a personal vendetta against Agent 009.

And that was when they _really_ made their entrance.

In a single instant, the door to Kara's house swung open with a spray of splinters, and a tidal wave of kicking, thrashing fur burst inside. Domino screamed, but stood her ground and swung her ugly weapon at the nearest assailant. The Mankey that she hit screeched and slammed against the floor in a ruined landing, shedding purple sparks. The girl swung again at the wild hoard, but she was far too outnumbered this time to do more damage. Before Domino could begin to register her terrible odds, the staff was knocked clear from her hands and sent flying. She was covered with pokémon herself before it even hit the floor.

A fraction of the attacking troop stepped aside to tend to her captives. Ash felt something jolt his chair, and when he turned to glance behind him, he nearly clunked heads with the Mankey that was perched on top of the backrest. It was untying him!

Across from Ash, a Primeape was ripping off Brock's ropes like they were strands of dental floss, and another Mankey was plucking at Misty's knots with its dexterous fingers. Both of his friends were shrieking with terror, but unlike the notorious Primeape that Ash had captured long ago, these creatures seemed to have their rage focused solely on Domino, rather than on everyone in sight.

After all, their tiny brown comrade had repeatedly told them that these other humans were the good guys.

Lola and Kara were quickly freed in the same manner by a pair of Primeape, and as soon as they were out of their chairs, one of their rescuers dashed over to untie Pikachu, Mankey, and Togepi. The minute the three pokémon were free, they rushed over to their human comrades and crowded together in a protective clump.

At that moment, a less fashionable-looking Domino leapt clear of her attackers and lifted her head to the ceiling.

"Murkrow!" she blasted at her screeching bird as it fluttered above the chaos. "Use your night shade attack!"

Her grim helper obeyed, and with a horrible squawk, an aura of shadow rippled around its body, rapidly expanding. In less than a second, the entire room was shrouded in darkness, and the sounds of Mankey and Primeape howling in confusion and stumbling about were heard everywhere. The creatures of Ivory Island had never seen a darkness pokémon before; a surprise attack like this had them stopped in their tracks. Now it appeared that Domino had the upper hand.

The agent swiftly followed up this maneuver by throwing out a second pokéball. "Now you'll see us in a different light!" she crowed. "Go, Sneasel!"

A burst of white light erupted in the darkness, but it was quickly replaced by a thin black figure with a cluster of pink feathers sprouting from its backside. The Sneasel came out ready, and drew out its dagger-like claws as it scanned the room for blind opponents. Domino shouted the order for a scratch attack, and three helpless rescuers—including the Primeape who'd freed the children's pokémon—were knocked off their feet by a single swipe.

"Sneasel! Murkrow! You're in your element now! Finish them off!"

To her two dark servants, the shadowy haze was as clear as daylight, and so they threw themselves at their clueless targets side by side.

Unfortunately for Sneasel and Murkrow, there were more elements against them than just these fighting types.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out. "Light up the room! Quick!"

"_Pika-CHUUUU!!_"

As suddenly as the scene had grown dark, it was dancing with lighting bolts. Pikachu's flash attack would do nothing to hurt either side in this conflict, but now the room was just bright enough to even the odds. Kara's Mankey was the first to recover from the blazing yellow light, and it sprang into the air with both fists cocked.

_POW!_

Domino's pokémon never knew what hit them, and the two split apart as they went tumbling out of control. Lola grabbed Kara and ducked as Sneasel sailed over their heads, and an unlucky vase was heard shattering on the bookshelf behind them. Murkrow's fate was even worse, as the dazed bird was sent careening straight towards a waiting Primeape. Instead of punching its foe, however, this crafty fighter threw its hands back to grasp the windowsill behind it. Once its grip was secure, the hairy critter gleefully swung its feet up then and planted a pair of karate kicks square in Murkrow's face. Just like that, the surrounding darkness faded away.

But Domino had one more pokéball clipped to her belt, and she viciously threw it into the air without so much as a glance at her two stunned helpers. Another brilliant light burst from the red and white ball, and faded to reveal the most fowl-looking pokémon Ash had ever seen. It was doglike in shape, standing nearly the height of a man, and its powerful black body was covered with bony metal cuffs. In addition to this, the creature's long thin tail ended in a devilish barb, and it sported a pair of curving gray horns where its ears should have been. Just the sight of it made several of Mankey's troopmates recoil.

The demon dog's master pointed fiercely at her crowd of enemies then. "Houndoom! Flame thrower now!"

Lola leapt forward with a frantic scream, but she was too late to stop the attack. In an instant, the Houndoom opened its snarling mouth and belched a stream of fire. The group of Mankey and Primeape that the flames were aimed at scattered in time, but there was nothing to protect the one thing that Lola'd been concerned about: the wall of her house.

Suddenly, the living room had another window right above the sofa.

Now it was Misty and Brock's turn to join the action. "You're not gonna hurt any more pokémon, Domino!" Misty shouted.

"Not if we can help it!" Brock followed up, and the two firmly called out their Starmie and Geodude. At their trainers' commands, the first of the pokémon sent out a churning water gun attack, while its boulder-like friend unleashed its rock throw technique with a barrage of flying stones. The swift Houndoom easily dodged both assaults, and responded with another flaming blast. Misty could only gape in horror as the fire connected with Starmie, sending it plowing backwards into Geodude. Both pokémon slammed against the wall.

Kara jumped back. "How could a fire type be strong against water and rock?!"

"It's too fast for them!" Ash answered, shocked.

Meanwhile, two of the Mankey that'd fled from the first flame thrower had found their way into Kara's kitchen. They were twin brothers, shown by their matching lime green eyes, and the first thing they spotted after regaining their senses was the sink. An idea gleamed on both of their faces, and the pair leapt onto the counter to study it. That older Mankey in their troop, the one that always came around here, had told them stories about the strange devices it'd seen humans using inside their homes, and this one seemed to match one of the many descriptions.

Another blast of fire was heard, and the sizzling smell of it prompted the twins to study the faucet and nozzle with even more intrigue.

Back in the living room, Ash, Kara, and Lola scrambled to pat down the flames rising from the carpet. Pikachu was hurrying away from the struggle with Togepi grasped in its yellow hands. Starmie and Geodude were still sparring against the Houndoom, but it was becoming obvious to Misty and Brock that their pokémon wouldn't last much longer against the super-trained dark type. None of the thirty or so Mankey and Primeape that'd come to save them could seem to land a punch on the light-footed devil hound either, but this failure only fueled their tempers more.

Brock gritted his teeth and he squinted through the smoke. "Geodude! Give it another rock throw!"

"Tackle it, Starmie!" Misty cried.

The purple starfish rose off the floor and threw itself across the room, spinning like a Frisbee. It was coming at Houndoom from the left, while Geodude was careening towards the black monster from the right. Domino's horned dog only had to look at each of them once to find a solution, and as Geodude and Starmie neared, it leapt straight up off the floor. By then, it was too late for either of its opponents to stop, and so their momentum carried them straight into each other…and left them lying in a motionless pile.

Brock and Misty gasped at the terrible irony, but there was still hope left. As the Houndoom's jump propelled it upwards, it rose in front of Lola and Kara's mantle, facing away from the wooden shelf. Because of this unfortunate position, it was unable to see the Primeape perched there, wielding a table lamp. Seeing its chance, the enraged fighting pokémon sharply brought down the porcelain weapon and shattered it over Houndoom's head. Finally dazed, the fiery pooch plummeted back down and landed woozily on its feet, between its fallen foes.

Domino looked leady to spout flames herself. "Houndoom! Wake up and finish them off already! They're just _fighting_ pokémon!"

That was when the final surprise was unleashed.

"_Man-KEEEEEEYYY!!_"

The shrill battle cry startled Domino, and she whirled around just in time to see the attack coming. Leaping out of the kitchen doorway was one of the Mankey twins, and it was clutching the sink's nozzle in its furry paws. The blonde girl gasped in surprise as the airborne hairball knocked her to the floor, using her head as a stepping-stone, and sprang forward again. Inside the kitchen, its brother heard the commotion and triumphantly yanked up the handle.

_FWOOOSH!!_

Water sprayed from the nozzle, hitting the Houndoom just as it dropped its dizzy trance. The dark pokémon jolted back from the narrow stream in an attempt to escape, but it was much too late for that now. The rest of the troop could see that it was distracted, and the bad-tempered critters took advantage of the clever diversion. Every Mankey and Primeape in the room dove for their targets, and the last thing Domino's demon pet saw was a blur of fists rushing towards its grim face.

Domino could only wish that her own fight ended that way. With her troublesome pokémon out of commission, the troop could now focus its attention back on her, and did so gladly. Ash, Brock, Misty, Kara, and Lola all watched in awe at the wild creatures snatched up the tattered strands of rope at their feet and proceeded to tie the struggling Rocket agent's hands and legs together.

"You let me go, you smelly little pig-heads!" she screamed with a beat-red face. "I'll pull your tails out by the roots!" But her threats were nothing but empty words now.

Brock and Misty quickly recalled Geodude and Starmie, and just as the group turned for the cellar door, the little brown Mankey hopped into view.

"_Mankey! Mank mank!_"

Kara's Mankey gave their tiny messenger a happy grunt, and the two troopmates slapped their tails together in a comical high-five as they bid farewell. Ash and the others hurried away from the scene, tugging Lola along with them.

Still in the living room, Domino glared down at the little Mankey as it skidded to a halt in front of her. A Primeape came up beside it right then, but instead of a dusty white, the brute's fur was the same rusted color as its iron-banded arms and legs. It was obviously a relative of the brown youngster's, and in its paw-like hands, it was clutching her energy staff.

The Primeape turned to its tiny kinsman, then pointing at Domino, it grunted a question. The little Mankey gave a confirming nod and shrank back fearfully; it wasn't about to forget yesterday's harrowing experience. With that, the rust-colored pokémon lifted the stolen weapon and marched forward.

Ash and his friends could hear Agent 009's painful yelps all the while as they hurried down the cellar steps.

--

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I figured Domino/Agent 009 should have all dark-type pokémon since she's on a mission to capture two psychic elements. Soon to be updated.


	20. A Sister's Sacrifice

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XX**

Lola stopped all of a sudden and wrenched her arm free from her daughter's grip.

"Kara! Kara, _stop!_ What just happened? Who was that girl?" the overwhelmed mother demanded.

"She's part of Team Rocket, Mom!" Kara answered hastily. "They're after Mew and Mewtwo! They want to capture them!"

"_Who_ are Mew and Mewtwo?" The anger in Lola's voice was hard to miss.

Ash was quick with his own explanation. "They're two pokémon who've been on the island for at least a week! There's a whole bunch of other ones with them too!"

"They're clones!" Misty interjected. "They came to Ivory Island to hide!"

"We think Team Rocket's been after them for a while," Brock finished up.

Kara's feet touched the cellar's concrete floor, and she dashed to the cupboard and pulled out the length of rope. She was relieved that Domino hadn't used it to tie them up earlier. She hopped up then to unhook the tiny anchor from the ceiling. "The clones live on top of Mt. Ivory," she gasped between anxious breaths.

"Kara—" Lola started.

"We have to get up there and help them!"

"_Kara!_"

The brown-haired girl froze. There was a fire in her mother's eyes right then that even Domino's Houndoom couldn't match.

Lola barely looked like she could stand. "_Nobody_ is leaving this house! Didn't you all see what just happened upstairs? We could have been _killed_, and now you tell me there's _more_ of those people outside?" She looked at each of the children individually. "You four have been running all over this island for the past week, keeping secrets from me! What have you gotten yourselves _into?_"

Kara's expression turned inwards as the full wave of guilt finally came over her. "We don't know, Mom. But we have to get ourselves out."

"Kara, please stop this," Lola said just then. She grabbed her daughter's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. The anger was gone from her face now, replaced by a world of fear. "This whole adventure game of yours has to end. It's gone on for three years, and it has to end _now._"

The words cut through Ash like a blade of ice. Lola was willing to do anything to keep her daughter safe, even sacrifice every dream that Kara'd ever had. How would he have reacted to those words if his own mother had said them to him? Traveling the world as a pokémon trainer had been his life for so long; the thought of never even _starting_ his journey was too horrible to imagine. So much of Ash wanted to speak up in Kara's defense right then, but Brock silenced him with a firm hand on his shoulder. The argument was becoming too personal for them to join in now.

Kara answered her mother softly. "It's not a game anymore. It's serious—for everybody. We have to do something, or those agents'll take everything they came for _and_ a lot more. We can't just stay here and let this happen."

The brown-haired girl grasped her seashell necklace once more, and never broke her eye contact as she spoke her last words. "We have responsibilities now. All four of us."

Lola could only gaze at her daughter, suddenly lost for words.

…………………

Mewtwo was almost to the top of the mountain now.

The psychic swore he'd never flown so fast. Everywhere he turned, he could see the black shapes of Team Rocket agents dotting the island, and the closer he came to his crater home, the louder and more menacing the sound of helicopter blades became. Even worse than that deafening churning was the silence surrounding it. Mewtwo couldn't hear a single pokémon roaring or crying out over the din, and this dreadful observation drew him to a terrible conclusion: Team Rocket was inside his haven, and they were keeping his dear clones from calling for help.

Mew was flying directly beside him, and nearing the edge of the crater, she darted up ahead of him to disappear over the jagged rim. A second later, Mewtwo cleared the same hurtle, and the sight that greeted him on the other side made him freeze in midair.

The clones were gone. Simply gone. There wasn't a trace of them anywhere in that crater, and the land surrounding their lake was completely swarming with black-clothed Rocket agents.

Mewtwo jerked back out of sight as the reality sank in. "…No!" he gasped. His purple eyes began darting around in a frantic search. "The clones! Where are the clones?"

"_Mew_…" The pink cat cocked her head in confusion as she noticed the empty sky. Where were the _helicopters?_

After a panicked moment, Mewtwo's gaze came to rest on the answer. It was difficult to see from this distance, but he could just make out the dark silhouette of several choppers down by the northern shore of the island. The air-faring vehicles were taking turns perching on the stern of a black ship, which had all but taken over the docks below; the wreckage of several fishing boats lay strewn around the titanic vessel. What really caught the psychic's attention was the enormous box-like structure directly in front of the helicopters' landing platform—a cargo hold.

Mewtwo stared anxiously at the ship, his tail twitching all the while. "Look!" he said. "Down there. That ship cannot only be for humans. There must be something else inside it." He was talking more to himself than to his sister now. "Yes. That is where the clones must be. Hurry!" Without another delay, the gray cat was off.

Mew, however, was hesitant to follow. Something didn't feel right. The only helicopters in sight were far below them on that ship, and yet the sound of chopping blades was loud enough to be right in front of her. She paused and glanced around, distracted from her departing brother.

Where was that sound coming from?

…………………

Giovanni could see them both on the monitor.

Mew and Mewtwo. The two rarest pokémon in the world, and the two specimens that he and his team had spent the last two years hunting the globe for. Now their efforts had finally paid off, and both of those powerful prizes were suspended in the air just across the crater from him, completely oblivious. Perfectly in place.

He just had to decide which one he wanted.

Again, the choices were mapped out before him. Which one would it be? The unaltered original or the specialized clone? The authentic or the artificial? The Team Rocket boss had been weighing his options for days, and now that the moment of truth was upon him, the conclusion was light-years away. Each psychic would be ideal for his army, and each would require everything he had to be overpowered. He could capture only one, and Giovanni knew long ago that the tool he called greed would always prevent him from making such a decision. That was why he'd planned to use another tool.

Fate.

"Sir!" his helicopter pilot called from the control room. "Mewtwo's approaching us! It's in our range!"

Giovanni observed the troubled gray and purple shape on his monitor and smiled.

"Move into position, Captain…and fire."

His leering eyes shifted over to the tiny pink shape that was Mew, still lingering at a distance at the far edge of the crater. Team Rocket would not decide which psychic to capture.

Mew would.

…………………

The sound was getting louder now. Closer.

Mew was practically somersaulting in place as she searched for the source of the noise. There had to be another helicopter somewhere nearby. The entire island had been all but ambushed by a _fleet_ of them this morning; these particular vehicles were quieter than most of their kind, and for the sound of just _one_ to be _deafening_…

The little cat spun around in confusion, ears straining. _Where was that sound coming from?_

A heartbeat later, she found out.

_Chopa-chopa-chopa-chopa!_

It all happened too quickly to take in. The helicopter rose up from behind the opposite edge of the crater, swift enough to have teleported onto the scene, and the sizzling, gun-like device beneath it fired out the largest blast of red energy that Mew had ever seen.

And Mewtwo, focusing desperately on his captured clones, never saw it coming.

Mew didn't have time to call out. She didn't have time to float her brother out of the way, and she didn't have time to throw the beam off course with one of her own attacks. She didn't even have time to shield Mewtwo with a pink bubble. The only thing that registered in her mind in that split second was that Mewtwo—her own flesh and blood—was in danger's way, and the only thing she had time to do was fly...right in front of him.

And with a sickening _BASH!_, hundreds of stolen pokémon attacks collided with the pair.

Mewtwo cried out with shock and pain, and before he could begin to guess what had hit him, the force of the fiery streak sent him and Mew sailing away, out of control…and then they fell.

He couldn't breathe. The air was whipping past him too fast to take in, and the updraft was pummeling him mercilessly in the face and gut as he tumbled. For a minute, Mewtwo's stomach twisted horribly, and the psychic felt a staggering wave of sickness race back and forth between his head and belly. He was plummeting straight for shore at a fifty-degree angle, but his tilting path wasn't aiming him clear of Ivory Island's obstacles. The agonized fall continued for another instant, and then Mew and Mewtwo hit the trees.

_CRASH!_

_WUMPH!_

_SMASH!_

_CRACK!!_

Mewtwo hit a branch hard on his chest, breaking the wooden limb clean off the mother tree and knocking out whatever wind was left in his lungs. The whiplash of the impact made him bash his head against the trunk right then, and for one blissful moment, the gray pokémon was unconscious as his body tore down through the foliage. Then at last, he hit the ground.

If nothing else, the crash through the canopy had slowed Mewtwo's fall, and the sand on the beach further eased his landing. He somersaulted once, sending up a spray of the grainy substance, and his momentum carried him several meters. Ahead of him, Mew bounced and rolled across the ground like a ball on concrete, flailing limply. Finally, both psychics skidded to a stop, ending the nightmare plunge.

Countless seconds passed before the motionless Mewtwo began to stir. The first sensation that welcomed him back to consciousness was the searing pain in his head, and the throbbing in his chest kicked in immediately after. The gray cat winced, clenching his three-fingered hands into fists. He struggled for a minute then to suck the air back into his lungs and clear his blurry vision, and only after that did he realize he was lying face-down in the sand. Tilting his head up to focus on the ground in front of him, Mewtwo managed to piece together his chaotic situation.

"They…struck us…down." His voice was nothing but a weak rasp. "We lowered our guard…for a moment…and they struck us down."

How had it happened? All he could remember was flying, and then falling. And a flash of red. And someone else falling beside him…

"Mew?"

He finally found the strength to lift his head, and gazing across the sandy plane, he saw her. The little pink cat was sprawled on her side, unmoving and facing away from him. She made no response.

"Sister," Mewtwo called softly, but again, he received no answer. She must have been stunned from the fall as well. The larger pokémon groaned as he rose to his hands and knees, and crept painfully across the empty space to where Mew lay. "Can you hear me?"

Once more, his sister said nothing. Mewtwo hesitated, waiting in vain for some sort of movement, then not knowing what else to do, he reached out and gently turned her towards him, onto her back.

That was when the truth began to dawn on him.

Mew's entire body was covered with burns and bruises, much worse than any of the injuries _he_ bore from the incident. The expression on her face was one of a complete blackout, and as he leaned closer, Mewtwo realized that she wasn't making a single sound.

Not even breathing.

Panic flashed on the creature's gray face, and he immediately drew his eyes down to her chest. To his horror, it was completely still—no rise and fall of breathing, and no subtle pulsing of a beating heart. Mew, his sister, showed no signs of life at all.

Mewtwo's arms started trembling. "No…"

He reached out to Mew again, placing his palm on the crown of her head. She was cold.

"Sister!"

She made no reaction to the cry.

"Mew! Answer me!"

But Mew remained silent, unhearing.

Mewtwo's face was frozen in horror. "This…this isn't happening," he whispered. His voice was quaking all the while. "This can't _be!_"

He stared deeper into Mew's face, hoping desperately that her blue eyes would open again. The deep, wordless emotion that had stirred in him last night was returning to him now, but this time, it felt…broken. It was painful, tightening his chest and aching in his throat, and the coldness beneath his fingers only worsened the sting. His trembling grew worse, taking hold of his entire body, and that was when Mewtwo realized what that once soaring emotion had been.

Love.

The love of a brother for his sister. A love that had now been stolen away by that flash of red.

"But perhaps…"

Mewtwo wasn't giving up. He couldn't. Mew had become everything to him—had _always_ been everything to him—and without hesitation, he picked up his sister's delicate figure and knelt back, holding her in his lap.

He closed his eyes then, concentrating. If he and Mew were connected by their minds in life, then they must certainly be connected worlds apart. There had to be some way to find her, some way to save her. Mewtwo stretched out further with his powers, searching, calling…reaching out with his mind for some thought, some presence, so that he might pull it back to him. Back to the tiny pink body cradled in his hands…

But he found only silence.

"Mew," he called out, trying again. He could almost hear the hum of his powers straining this time. "Hear me! Come back! This is not the time! _Please_…"

The pain in his head was growing worse by the second. Mewtwo was pushing himself too far, trying to cross a barrier that he simply didn't have the strength to break through. He was faltering terribly, but still he pressed on, ignoring the agony in his head that threatened to destroy him. He could do this simple task! He could! _He was the world's strongest pokémon!_

"_AAAH!_"

Suddenly, he broke. Mewtwo could will himself to do no more, and the stabbing pain surged through his body, stopping him. That was when his shoulders gave out, and dropping his head forward, he clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't bear to look down at the creature in his trembling hands. Not now.

"No heart beats within you…" His voice was shaking too hard to stop. "No thoughts…_no life!_"

And in that terrible moment of defeat, Mewtwo did the only other thing he could. Heaving his shoulders, he lifted his head straight up to the sky…and screamed. A single wordless howl, a shriek that voiced an unfathomable grief and tore deep down into the very pit of a ruined being. He had lost everything. In the blink of an uncaring eye, he had lost his clones and his sister. His children, and the one beautiful soul who had shown him that his life meant something. He had taken them all for granted, blamed them and driven them away, and now he could do nothing with his powers to bring them back. And so he screamed until he had no voice left, and his wail died in a ragged gasp.

Mewtwo dropped his head again, and tears immediately spilled from his eyes onto Mew's still face. Even now, he didn't have the strength to look at her.

"A brother…a son… You gave me my identity. My answer. I was complete…because _you_ made it so. And I could not repay you for that."

He continued to cradle her, giving her body the respect that the ground couldn't. So small. She was so small…

But at that moment, his mourning was interrupted by the sound of heavy footfalls. They came from every direction, surrounding him, and amidst the racket of their pounding boots, he could hear the _click_ of something mechanical being cocked. A weapon.

The Team Rocket lieutenant shouted his orders then. "Agents! Into position!" At this cue, more _clicks_ were heard.

Mewtwo finally opened his eyes, gazing at Mew's body through his tears.

Humans. Humans had done this to her—to them.

Suddenly, his grief was changing. "_You did not deserve this fate,_" he whispered.

"Set your weapons to 'low!' We need it alive!" the lieutenant commanded.

"_You did not deserve death_…"

Humans had murdered Mew. They had invaded his home and captured his clones. Humans had destroyed their lives.

All around him, Team Rocket agents were weilding energy staffs, preparing to further weaken their prize and finish the job. "Be ready to fire!"

Humans had done it all.

Mewtwo knew nothing of grief anymore—only anger. And he was ready to voice that as well.

"_This was not your DESTINY!_"

Before the agents in front of him had a chance to cry out, the world around them turned a blinding shade of blue, and they were sent flying backwards. The rest of their startled comrades impulsively stepped back, hesitant to attack. In the next instant, the men and women on either side of Mewtwo were thrown to the ground as their energy staffs burst, spraying them with broken glass and metal. Then the reeling agents were seized by the eerie blue aura and thrown into the trees and water.

The lieutenant and agents standing behind Mewtwo suffered the worst fate of all. The enraged psychic placed Mew's body down on the sand, and suddenly ignorant of his pain, he rose off the ground and whirled around to face his enemies. By then, he had something else in his glowing hands: an energy ball.

And without another word, he swung his arms forward, releasing the sizzling black sphere.

High above him at the top of Mt. Ivory, Giovanni watched the assault through the shattered crystal of an agent's discarded wrist device.

All he had left to do was wait.

--

--


	21. Climbing the Mountain

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XXI**

"Noctowl! Fly the anchor up to the next ledge for us!"

Ash could see the strain on his pokemon's face, but the owl-like creature complied. Noctowl had been beating its wings nonstop for the past five minutes, and the burden of dragging Ash and Misty up the steep mountain by a rope was starting to take effect on it. After another minute of struggling, the flying pokémon reached the ledge and gladly latched the makeshift grappling hook onto a rock. Their hold now secured, Ash and Misty continued the ascent with Pikachu and Togepi clinging to their backs.

Off to their left, Brock's powerful Golbat was having more luck hauling its passengers all the way up the slope. Its trainer was confidently leading the band of four, with Kara, Mankey, and Lola hastily bringing up the rear. As a whole though, the group was making slow progress.

"How long've we been climbing now?" Misty asked just then.

"It feels like twenty minutes," Brock answered flatly, "which probably means it's only been ten."

"All that matters is how much time we have _left!_" Ash jumped in. His eyes were locked firmly on Mt. Ivory's summit, high above them. "We've gotta hurry!"

Up on the ledge, Noctowl watched its human friends calmly. It probably had three minutes to rest until Ash and Misty reached this point, and the next leg of the hike looked like it would take another ten minutes. The owl pokémon didn't even want to guess how long it would take to reach the top of the mountain. All it knew was that right now, it had a chance to catch its breath.

The anchor, however, decided that this was the opportune time to give up.

Noctowl heard a loud scrape, but before it could react to the sound, the little grappling hook slid free from the rock and fell. Below the ledge, Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Togepi did likewise.

"WOAAAAAAHH!!"

Ash and Misty tumbled backwards and hit the mountain slope, sending their two pokémon sailing clear. Togepi happily fluttered its tiny arms and chirped, unaware of its peril. Pikachu yelped in terror and dove after the airborne egg creature, catching it just in time. Hearing the sudden commotion, Brock and the others turned and froze. Their friends were sliding down Mt. Ivory headfirst on their backs, and they were heading straight for a rocky outcropping.

"Ash!" Brock shouted in a panic. "Misty!"

Above him, Noctowl sprang from its perch after the anchor, but it was far too late for the surprised bird to catch up to it. Seeing this, Brock frantically launched himself to the right and grabbed for Ash's rope with his free hand. He was successful, but the momentum of the tumbling load yanked his right arm backwards and pulled him down on his own rope by a full meter. His left hand was stinging painfully with rope burns, but the squinty-eyed boy gritted his teeth and struggled to keep his feet on the rocks, never loosening his grip on either line. His backwards skid had nearly knocked Kara and Lola off of the rope as well, but the pair held tight and anxiously looked down at Ash and Misty.

The two trainers were safe for the moment as Brock clutched their rope above them, and with a frightened look down, Misty saw that Pikachu had also caught the end of the thick line. The yellow pokémon was holding on with its tiny feet, and she saw that Togepi was wiggling cheerfully in its arms.

"Togepi!" she called down with relief. "Pikachu, climb up here!" She reached out then, offering her hand as leverage to the electric mouse.

Ash glanced down at them tensely and lifted his head. "Don't let go of the rope, Brock!"

"I can't keep that promise forever! _Gaaa!_" Drops of sweat were running down the other boy's face now. What an ironic game of tug-o-war! He was gonna have longer arms than a _Tentacruel_ by the end of this!

Seeing the need to hurry, Ash carefully rose to his feet. Behind him, Misty did likewise and pulled Pikachu and Togepi up to her, quickly placing her egg-like infant into her backpack. Pikachu then darted eagerly up the rope and onto Ash's shoulders. Once they'd all righted themselves enough, the four urgently resumed their climb.

But they weren't out of danger yet.

Noctowl hurried to grab Ash and Misty's rope in its talons, helping Brock with the task. There was silence for a moment, and the incident seemed to be over, but just as the first of the two lucky trainers neared the rest of his group, something was heard in the distance.

"_Spearow! Spearow!_"

"_Pidgey! Pidgey!_"

The entire band of hikers paused and turned oddly towards the squawks. They were growing louder, and it sounded like they were coming straight up the mountain, very fast…

"_Spear! Row!_"

The next thing anyone knew, the group was surrounded by wild pokémon. An entire flock of birds had just shot up out of nowhere, and was tearing past them as if the humans weren't even in their way. Ash and Misty shouted with terror and crouched as low as they could to avoid the feathered missiles. Kara, Mankey, and Lola did the same while Brock yelped and ducked his head.

"What're these pokémon doing?!" he shouted to Kara.

The girl was too busy clutching her rope to give the matter much thought. "I don't know! It's like _they're_ trying to get to the crater too!"

"I've never seen them act like this before!" Lola added, recalling the troop of Mankey and Primeape as well.

Ahead of them, Noctowl and Golbat were swaying wildly back and forth to dodge the passing birds. The two fliers were distracted by the flock, and in their confusion, neither one was paying attention to the ropes they were holding.

A Pidgey came past them just then, but a Spearow directly above it made the smaller pokémon swoop down lower. As it did this, the brown and white creature unknowingly lowered its clawed feet, and passed over Ash and Misty's rope then.

_SNAP!_

Brock cried out in horror as his friends' lifeline broke, sending him and Noctowl staggering backwards. An instant later, Golbat jerked sharply to one side and collided with a Spearow. The impact was enough to make the giant blue bat drop its rope, and before they even knew it, Ash, Misty, Brock, and the rest of their luckless gang were tumbling and screaming as one.

Fortunately, the little anchor wasn't far behind them.

Mankey was the first one to spot it, and easily nabbed the bouncing hook with its prehensile tail. It was nearing the next ledge, and with a sharp jerk of its tail, the round pig monkey latched the salvaged grapple into a crevasse. The sudden halt of its fall made Mankey jolt, but it quickly reached out with its small hands and grabbed the first thing it could: Misty's foot. The red-haired girl flopped face-first against the slope—getting a mouthful of dirt in the process—and came to a stop. In turn, her arms shot out and caught Brock's wrist. The boy gasped at his abrupt rescue, then quickly stopped Lola on her way down as well. Now there were only three members left to catch.

The world was spiraling too fast for Kara to see it. "_ASH!_" she screamed.

"_KARA!_" he shouted back, clutching Pikachu to his chest. Their voices sounded close to each other, and as the end of their journey began to approach, the two braced themselves the best way they could.

Ash and Kara blindly kicked against the rocks and collided together. As soon as this connection registered, they both squeezed their eyes shut and clung to each other. They were doomed, and they had no other lifelines.

But just then, the spiraling ceased.

Pinned between the pair, Pikachu twitched its ears and peered up. "_Pika!_"

Ash and Kara opened their eyes at this and followed the mouse's gaze, baffled. Grasping a clump of Ash's blue vest in her free hand, Lola gazed down at the two kids.

"…Are you alright, honey?" the mother asked then. Even with her unending concern, she couldn't quite mask her curiosity.

Kara and Ash glanced bashfully at each other and nodded. "Uh…yeah, Mom," the girl managed to answer.

Brock and Misty suddenly lifted their heads away from the amusing scene. The flock of Spearow and Pidgey had moved on, but they could still hear wings beating further down the mountain. Just then, the source of the noise came into view, and the onlookers' faces went pale with dread.

"Err…_guys?_" Misty stammered. Her eyes were bugging nearly out of their sockets. "I think some old friends are coming this way…"

The others all turned to see what had spooked her, and sure enough, a very familiar hoard of blue and purple cave dwellers was approaching them.

Ash squared his jaw, watching the Zubat with determination. "These pokémon are trying to reach the top just like we are. I say we team up with them."

Noctowl and Golbat caught up to the group just then. The rope was gone, and understanding Ash's sudden plan, they swooped down to snatch up Mankey, Misty, and Lola. The others slid a short distance, and anxiously grabbed hold of the first few bats as they passed overhead.

Ash gazed up at the summit as he grasped his Zubat's dangling legs. These flying pokémon were carrying him and his friends to their destination much faster than they would ever get there on foot. With every beat of this Zubat's wings, he was getting closer and closer to Mewtwo, and to the top of Mt. Ivory.

And yet, even as these thoughts flashed in his head, Ash couldn't help sharing a glance with Kara.

…………………

Jerry wasn't alone outside anymore. Tony and Shelly were standing on either side of him, and from the chorus of murmurs behind him, he guessed that just about everyone else in town was crowded together in this same spot. He didn't bother looking though; the things happening in front of him were a lot more attention grabbing.

The Spearow and Pidgey were gone. They'd all broken out of their circling pattern and turned tail for the woods, and from the looks of it, several more of their wild comrades were taking off towards the shore. The only indecisive ones were the pet pokémon, who were carrying on even worse than before.

"Only the wild pokémon are leaving," Tony observed. "What do the other ones want?"

Jerry turned his attention to Slow-Man. The pink hippo was running wider laps around the streetlight now, and it seemed to be staring at its master with those blank white eyes all the while. Nearby, a pet Growlithe tugged feverishly at its chain leash as it tried to leave its front yard. Even as it struggled, the orange dog never looked away from its worried owner.

The pieces suddenly fell together, and Jerry stepped back like he'd been clapped across the face. He couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out ages ago.

"They want us to follow them!" he answered.

He knew half the town was looking at him like he was crazy now, but he didn't care. That had to be it. Why else would Slow-Man and the others stay behind like this after the wild pokémon had taken off?

The diner owner's Slowpoke stopped then and stared at him. It was like the dopey pet was reading Jerry's mind and knew that its message had finally reached him. Slow-Man's fit was over, and like a chain reaction, every other pokémon in sight stopped and fell silent. The residents of Ivory Island traded looks with each other, flabbergasted.

Now they were _all_ going crazy.

--

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

(I got a request or two a while ago for some Ash/Kara pairing, so here it is! Chapter 22 is on the way too!)


	22. To Choose a Side

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XXII**

Jessie, James, and Meowth were completely exhausted.

Their original plan had been to run straight to the docks and hop on board the black Rocket transport floating there. The out of shape trio had almost made it to their destination—close enough to even see the ship's outline through the trees—but before any of them could've taken another step, something had suddenly distracted them.

They'd heard a series of loud crashes, as if something very big and clumsy had just plunged through the canopy over their heads. Normally, this kind of startling racket would have sent them scrambling even faster towards their team's ship, but a few minutes later, they'd heard something else: a scream.

It'd stopped all three of the renegades in their tracks, and although the piercing, pain-filled cry had come from far away, it'd sounded familiar. Very familiar.

And that was why now, only minutes after they'd heard the commotion, Team Rocket was tearing aimlessly back through the forest in search of the source.

"_Losing breath…feeling faint…_" James wheezed as he ran.

"Oh, stop your whining!" Jessie snapped, trying not to sound so winded herself. "We _have_ to be close to it now!"

"But Jessie!" Meowth gasped as he trailed behind them. "We don't even know if it's still around here!"

"Or what 'it' even is!" James finished fearfully. "What if it's something really big and really hungry?! It might think we're _fast food!_"

"It won't be nearly as bad as what you'll get if you don't close your mouth!" the maroon-haired woman blasted back. "We just have to—_huh?_"

The three immediately came to a stop as they crossed the edge of the woods. They were standing on a beach now, surrounded by pale sand and gazing out at the calm ocean ahead. Jessie, James, and Meowth blinked at the unexpected find and glanced around, puzzled. There was nothing to be found here but peace; not a single starved monster was in sight.

They soon discovered, however, that the beach wasn't entirely empty.

Meowth was the one who spotted her. Even from this distance, the catlike schemer couldn't help noticing a tiny speck of pink against the sandy ground, and after squinting at it, he realized what the mystery object was.

"…Hey!" he alerted his human partners. His voice was breathless. "Look down there."

Jessie and James followed his direction, and the moment they saw that small, lifeless figure, their backs went rigid. It couldn't be…

For once, Jessie was at a loss for words. "It's…Mew."

Indeed, it was the little psychic. Mew was sprawled face-up on the beach like a fallen kite, and her wide, curious blue eyes were now closed. The once energetic pokémon wasn't even twitching her tail anymore.

James tilted his head, perplexed. "…But why's it just lying there?"

A part of him already knew the answer, but he didn't want to be the one to say it out loud. It was plain from Jessie and Meowth's denying expressions that they were thinking the same thing. The Team Rocket trio had never encountered a situation like this before; their lives revolved around stealing pokémon, and successful or not, they'd never felt sorry for a single one. Somehow though, seeing a creature like Mew in this condition after having come to know it so well evoked something unusual inside each of the three villains. Something that compelled them to stay here and not run straight back to the safety of that waiting ship.

Without hesitation, Jessie broke through the uncomfortable barrier and hurried over to the fallen psychic. When Mew remained still, the concerned woman knelt down to have a closer look. It was only a matter of seconds before James and Meowth joined her.

Jessie stared at the tiny pink body with moist eyes. "I don't hear any sounds coming from it," she said.

"Silent as the grave," James finally concluded, barely whispering.

Shock and sadness gripped Team Rocket's faces even harder just then—their fears had been confirmed. The bitter silence lingered for a minute, allowing their discovery to sink in.

"How did 'dis _happen?_" Meowth asked softly.

"It must've had something to do with the crashing we heard," Jessie offered. "But…what could have caused that?"

"Nothing good," was all James could say to this, and the three hung their heads as one.

A moment later, they _did_ hear something.

The trio suddenly snapped to attention. It was a faint humming sound, almost inaudible, and it slowly grew quieter as it continued. Jessie, James, and Meowth looked up with tense wonder, and not knowing what else to do, they glanced around at their surroundings. The water, the trees, the sand that stretched out ahead and behind them…there was no sign of anything that could be making that sound. The hum faded to silence then, disappearing, and the forlorn team gazed down at Mew once more.

By then, her eyes were open.

"_Mew…_" she murmured weekly. As soon as she recognized the cloudless sky above her, she sat up with a stronger, more confused squeak.

Team Rocket, to say the least, was surprised by this.

"_GAAA!!_" they squealed in unison. All three looked about ready to jump out of their skin. _Mew was alive!_

"Mew!" James exclaimed as his face turned almost as purple as his hair.

"We thought you were _dead!_" Jessie added.

"Spent all nine lives!" a frizzy-haired Meowth finished.

Mew paused to collect her thoughts, staring blankly forward. All she could remember was the sound of a helicopter and the sight of Mewtwo flying above the mountain. No—there was something else. A beam of red light…a feeling of panic…and a whirlwind of overpowering emotions that swept around her in the darkness. She had been in darkness.

"…_Mew mew._"

Meowth made another dumbfounded noise. The others turned expectantly towards him.

"What is it, Meowth?" Jessie asked.

The furry translator could hardly believe what he was saying. "Mew says it _was!_"

Before another astounded question could be formed, the dazed psychic continued. Despite his stupor, Meowth repeated her story.

"'It was dark and quiet, and there was nothin' to think about. And then I felt sad and angry, even though there was no reason to be.'"

"Sounds complicated," James commented.

It was all coming back to Mew now—every sensation, every emotion, every distant call that had echoed in her unresponsive mind. She'd been all but oblivious to it at the time, but now that her senses were returning to her, an image was rising from the void. There was nothing that could have made her feel such an endless grief in that darkness, nor the overwhelming rage and hatred that had followed. There had been no reason to feel _anything_, and as this understanding grew, another realization set in: she hadn't been sad or angry at all.

Someone else had been.

"_Mew mewmew_."

"It was…_Mewtwo?_" Meowth echoed. Just when he thought it couldn't get more complicated!

And with that, Mew sprang into the air and was off. She could hear her three listeners' surprised yelps behind her, but she ignored them; there was no time to lose. Zipping across the sand, the little pink cat flew to the water's edge and abruptly shot straight up into the air. She had to find a signal.

Mew knew she'd been dead. She had taken the blow that'd been meant for Mewtwo and had died, and yet now she was perfectly alive. It was baffling, the idea of coming back to life—not impossible, though still baffling—but the ancient pokémon could only think of one explanation for her rebirth.

The bond. She and Mewtwo had bound their minds in the most profound way, and now, even in death, they were inseparable. It was Mewtwo who had restored her life, and it was his thoughts that she was searching for now. Mewtwo, her son.

Mew had gained more than just a memory from this incident. She'd seen the younger psychic in danger up on that mountain, and she had responded on pure instinct. Mewtwo hadn't been solely her brother, her equal—in that single instant, his life had become infinitely more valuable than her own. Just like Kara's mother inside that house, Mew had been afraid for her only offspring, and she had just made the ultimate sacrifice for his safety.

But now she was alive.

"_Mew!_" she chirped, coming to a stop. She was hovering just over the treetops, and from there, she could see Mt. Ivory's towering shape in the distance. Could Mewtwo still be up there? It was certainly possible.

Mew was about to pursue her theory, but at that moment, something else made the psychic pause. There were no barriers up here to fool her keen senses, and in this particular spot, she could see and hear everything going on in the ocean behind her. Everything.

_Chopa-chopa-chopa-chopa!_

There was no mistaking that distinct sound of whirling blades. Mew spun around to face the water, and sure enough, she could see the cold black silhouette of the Team Rocket ship sitting menacingly at the local docks. At least a dozen helicopters were buzzing around the vessel, taking turns landing in front of its monstrous cargo hold.

That was when she remembered the clones. The pink cat piped her name again, and without further delay, she teleported in a flash of light. Mew knew what she had to do right now.

Back on the beach, Team Rocket was still in their dejected huddle.

"What just happened?" Jessie asked. Somehow, her moment of sympathy for Mew wasn't sitting well with her.

"We either did something _cat_-astrophic, or witnessed something _purr_-fectly natural," James suggested.

"Whatever it was, I think our boss will have _claws_ to be angry if word reaches him," the woman pointed out.

"Fraternizing with the enemy right under his whiskers!" James exclaimed. "We'll be scratched right out of a job!"

Meowth frowned and looked down. "That really hurts my _felines_."

Mew suddenly reappeared overhead, interrupting their fretful commentary. "_Mewmew! Mew! Mewmewmew mewmew!_"

Jessie, James, and Meowth leapt to their feet at the creature's return. "Now what?" the female agent asked.

"Mew wants us to go to the ship wit it!" their furry interpreter replied.

The two humans actually forgot to panic. "Our…original destination?" James wondered out loud. He traded a curious look with Jessie.

"I _guess_ that wouldn't be considered double-crossing," she admitted.

Meowth saw the flaw in this loophole though. "But what are we gonna do once we get 'dere? We could end up in double _trouble_ if we doesn't make up our minds!"

"…Double trouble?" Jessie echoed coolly, recalling their infamous motto. "But that's the one thing Team Rocket's always prepared for!"

James met her gaze, intrigued by this apparent change of heart. "Always prepared to give it to_ someone else_," he corrected.

"Are we suggestin' what we tinks we is?" Meowth asked with a gleam in his eyes.

James grinned. "A _truce_ while we're _loose?_"

"It's the perfect _ruse!_" Jessie finished.

Mew flicked her tail and disappeared into the trees just then. She didn't get so much as a meter before her smiling recruits came barreling after her in a cloud of sand.

"_Team Rocket's switching sides again_!"

--

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(You may have noticed that I went back and made some changes to the earlier chapters. There were a lot of typos, and when you work on a story like this for over two years, you tend to forget things, and there were a lot of inconsistencies. Hopefully everything's taken care of now.)

(Gaak! Suffocating on all the cat puns!)


	23. Battle for the Clones

(Disclaimer: I own nothing)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XXIII**

Mewtwo wasn't even thinking anymore.

Everything was a target. Vehicles, equipment, humans—anything with that wretched "R" on it deserved to be destroyed. The ruin of a psychic hadn't stopped firing energy balls since his rampage began, and his blind rage had carried him all the way back to the top of Mt. Ivory.

The first thing to catch Mewtwo's glowing eyes was a black tank beside the lake. With a sharp nod, he made it burst into flames. A dozen dark shapes scattered around the wreckage just then: agents. The gray cat launched a beam of blue light straight at the hoard, and a cloud of dust and debris flew up from the explosion. As soon as he heard them scream, he swept a seething wave of fire into the haze to finish it.

It was just like when he'd first awoken on New Island. Mewtwo was completely out of control, blasting, smashing, and tearing apart anything he could see from his place high above the lake's surface. Hatred was the only thing fueling him right now, and in the clone's twisted, writhing mind, it was all he needed. Humans deserved this. Humans had destroyed everything.

He hesitated only once at the sound of approaching helicopters. Three of them rose into view behind him, but the furious pokémon only had to turn around to eliminate them. With a single vicious swipe at the air, he sent one of the metal monsters hurtling into another, and they collided with a blaze of morbid orange fireworks. The next instant, the base of the third chopper's blades gave off a spray of sparks and twisted free from the top of the vehicle.

Mewtwo didn't even pause to watch the shattered transports crash.

Directly below him were a group of agents taking aim with small glowing weapons—an energy ball was all it took to remove the pitiful threat. Further away, the psychic saw more Rocket members feverishly preparing a robotic canon—in a heartbeat, they were gone as well. Even a handful of fleeing agents were savagely stopped for good. Everything was a target.

Giovanni continued to observe the massacre, now from a safer distance. As impressive as the display of power was, he knew that the capture would come to this. Mewtwo was running completely amuck, and with every attack that he threw down at those ground troops, he was wasting more and more of his strength.

In a minute, it would be time for the Team Rocket boss to make his move.

…………………

Four curious faces poked out from behind the trees, and once they spotted their objective, they ducked back out of sight. The ship was just a sprint away from the forest, and now that something was drawing all of the helicopters away from it, the hope of getting in unseen was growing brighter.

The first snoop, Mew, was eagerly bobbing in the air as she watched the last chopper lift off. Beside her, Jessie glanced over at her two partners.

"Alright, this is it," she said.

James gazed at their waiting task, perplexed. "Is anyone feeling regrets?"

"Eh! Either way, we's goin' down wit a ship," Meowth pointed out flatly.

The final helicopter disappeared over the treetops, and on cue, the sneaky foursome sprang into action with Mew in the lead. In a way, the little psychic found it funny; two years ago, she'd followed these exact same ne'er-do-wells into Mewtwo's laboratory on New Island, and _now_ they were following her. She might have giggled at the irony, but her playful thoughts had been pocketed away for the moment. For once, her concentration needed to be focused on a single thing.

The antsy bunch reached the docks, but seeing a female agent on the ship's deck, they dove to the side and huddled behind a stack of wooden crates. A few seconds later, the coast was clear, and they hurried forward again. There was no ramp connecting the ship to the docks—as all of Team Rocket's catches had been carried to them by helicopters—and the only porthole low enough to climb into from the ground was at the far stern end of the vessel. That was their ticket in, and as quickly as they could, the schemers made a break down the plank boardwalk.

Gaining entrance was barely a chore. They came to a stop in front of the porthole, and with a blink of pink light, the round window was popped cleanly out of its frame. Mew zipped through first, followed one-by-one by her less graceful helpers. They were alone in a dark, pipe-lined hallway now, and after a brief pause, they went to the right.

"I've never been inside one of these before," Jessie commented. "If Mew says those pokémon are on board, where would we find them?"

James looked around curiously, taking in the dank metal atmosphere. "Probably in the middle of the ship."

The group came to a doorway on their left, and seeing that it led down another hallway, they made the turn. A minute later, they spotted another doorway on each side of the passageway and stopped. Now things were getting confusing.

"Should we…go in this one?" Jessie asked, motioning unsurely to the left door.

"I'm startin' to tink we need a map," Meowth spoke up just then.

"Me too," James agreed. "There's too many twists and turns in this story."

But suddenly, two other voices joined their conversation.

"Hey! What are you still doing down here?" the first one demanded.

"All agents were told to report on the main deck five minutes ago!" the second chimed in brusquely.

Jessie, James, and Meowth whirled around to see a pair of firm-faced Rocket men standing at the hallway's entrance. Each one was clutching a long, switch-covered nightmare of a weapon in their hands, and they both looked like they'd been positively itching to use the whirring Roman candles all morning.

Mew stared at the pushy duo and cocked her head oddly. "_Mew_."

The two agents finally noticed her and faltered, caught off guard. "What the…?" the first man stammered.

_WHOOSH!_

Without so much as a skirmish, the pair of enforcers were sent sailing backwards and slammed loudly into the opposite wall. Mew squeaked softly and darted into the left doorway. Seeing their fellow agents in an unconscious heap, Jessie, James, and Meowth shrieked and scrambled after their psychic guide.

"_Wait for us!!_"

Through the doorway, down the hall, around a right turn, and into a large rectangular room. There were lights on in here, and realizing this, the team screeched to a halt and looked around in surprise. It was like they'd stumbled across a common area; three other passages opened into this spot, and in the center of the room there was a ladder that led straight up into the ceiling. Mew seemed drawn to the metal structure, but the sight of the entire place put wrinkles on Team Rocket's dreading faces. _Four_ ways to choose from—as if this couldn't get any worse!

"Now what?" James whined. And just like that, the situation _did_ get worse.

"_Houndour!_"

"_Umbreon!_"

The two pacified agents hadn't been without pokémon, and hearing them calling as they neared the common room, Mew kicked her feet and rocketed up through the ceiling exit. A millisecond later, the pair of attack dogs sprang onto the scene. The snarling Houndour planted itself in front of James while the Umbreon sized up Jessie, its yellow markings gleaming angrily. Both humans instinctively jumped back, but then their eyes shifted over to Meowth.

"Meowth! Go after Mew!" Jessie ordered hotly. "We'll hold them off!"

"Aye aye, captain!" the feline answered quickly.

James, to say the least, hadn't been sharing this idea. "WHAT?!"

Jessie smirked as she held up her pokéball. "Those two aren't the only ones with attack pokémon. Go, Arbok!"

Without further delay, she threw the red and white sphere into the air. James reluctantly did likewise, calling out his Wheezing, and with twin bursts of light, the duo's favorite pokémon appeared in front of their canine opponents. Fighting Rocket agents was one thing, but Jessie and James's waffling morals had no problem whatsoever with fending off a couple of irate hounds like these.

Meowth wasted no time in catching up to Mew. He climbed the ladder up to the ship's next level, and that was where he found the little creature anxiously searching the enormous pieces of machinery that dotted the walls. The two cats were in another large room, but unlike the one beneath them, there was only one closed door here. Seeming to give up on the machinery, Mew flew down to peer through the door's small spy window, then teleported to the other side.

"Hey wait!" Meowth squawked, propelling himself after her. He paused in front of the door to ready himself, then leapt up and grabbed the silver handle. "Don't leave without—_d'aah!_"

He froze the moment he swung that door open. Pokémon. Everywhere he looked, there were pokémon.

This was by far the largest room they'd come across on this ship, and it contained six enormous pits—three filled with water on the left side, and three without on the right. It was inside these pits that the countless pokémon resided, kept in by thick gray nets, and the closest one on the left had earned Mew's attention first. Meowth hurried over to her side to look for himself, and right at the edge of the pool, he saw a very familiar Squirtle.

"These are Mewtwo's pals, alright," the feline observed, recognizing the Psyduck clone as well. He glanced over in awe at the other tightly-packed pits. "But who'd a' thought a cat like dat knew so many pokémon!"

"_Mew mew,_" his comrade corrected.

Meowth looked up at her, surprised. "Yeh mean, dese _ain't_ all Mewtwo's? Then where'd they all come from?"

"_Pi-i…ka..._"

The weak groan came from behind them, and Mew and Meowth whirled around at the sound of it. They both knew that pokémon as well.

"It's Pika-_Two!_" Meowth gasped as they hurried to the opposite pit.

The yellow mouse was right in the middle of the cluster of unconscious bodies, and hearing its visitors, it slowly opened its eyes and gazed up at them. Even in its weary state, it recognized Mew, the only one who could reach its master, and it felt a wave of relief at the sight of her. Gathering whatever shards of its energy were left, the Pikachu clone was just able to mention the helicopters and their red beams. It was all Mew needed to hear.

The psychic looked from pit to pit, seeing pokémon of all sizes inside. Once she had taken in the scale of what needed to be done, she rose to the ceiling with glowing pink eyes.

Help had come.

…………………

"Arbok! Poison sting now!"

"_Arr-bok-a!_" the purple cobra hissed, spitting a mouthful of venomous barbs at the Umbreon. Its swift-footed opponent easily dodged the attack and responded with a spray of its own toxin. The blow hit, sending Arbok reeling.

"Arbok!" Jessie gawked at the unexpected move. "Umbreon must sweat poison! Where's a flowery-scented pokémon when you need one?!"

James's Wheezing wasn't having much luck with Houndour either. "Wanna trade?" the lavender-haired man squealed. "_I_ need one that's non-flammable!"

The sinister-looking pooch suddenly belched another fireball at poor Wheezing, as if these words had been a cue.

"Tell Wheezing to use its smoke screen attack!" Jessie shouted. "It could confuse them!"

"Do it, Wheezing!" James ordered.

The floating gray ball rasped its name and spewed a plume of thick yellow gas from its top crater. In a matter of seconds, the entire room was filled with fog, and even the large air vents below the ceiling couldn't get rid of the vile shroud. They did, however, take in a considerable amount of the gas, and up on the ship's main deck, the twin smokestacks began releasing the substance in front of several very confused Team Rocket agents.

But Jessie and James were too distracted by Umbreon and Houndour's confused barks to notice this. "Now Arbok! Give them another poison sting!"

This time, the odds were in Arbok's favor. Umbreon's glowing rings could just be seen in the blinding fog, and the furious Houndour was giving itself away with every flash of embers it sent out. All the giant snake had to do was take aim and fire everything it had.

A startled yelp and a heavy _thud_ each darkness pokémon told Jessie and James that their strategy had worked, then the hacking, watery-eyed duo dashed over to the ladder.

"That should boost our good guy quota for the day," James said anxiously.

"I never knew being helpful could be so easy," his partner added.

_ZZZT!!_

"_ARBOK-A!_"

_ZZZT!!_

"_WHEEZING!_"

The shrieks made Jessie and James stop dead in their tracks, and as the fog finally cleared, they turned with dread plastered on their faces. Standing over their two stunned pokémon were dozens of other agents, all wielding metal staffs just like Domino's. The cornered pair gulped. So much for easy.

The lead agent, a captain with jagged blue hair, glared menacingly at them. He and all of his followers had seen the unconscious agents in the hallway, and now that he'd found these half-wits making a mess of things in here, he'd come to enough of a conclusion.

"You two've got a lot of explaining to do." Purple sparks leapt from his staff's headpiece as he stepped forward. "Lucky for you, you can save it all for the boss."

But just like the first agents, he never got to use his weapon. Shouts and crashes broke out above deck, and the captain jerked back to listen. Before he could even guess what had caused the racket, the screams grew closer, in the hallway. Every agent in the room turned to follow the sound, and the minute they did, they regretted it.

"_Spinarak!_"

The swarm of bugs burst in like a green tidal wave, knocking the humans right off their feet. The few Rocket members who did stay up tried to shock the critters with their weapons, but were instantly wrapped in sticky white string. After the Spinarak came a small cluster of Hoppip, which greeted the agents with a sweeping cloud of stun spore. Jessie and James frantically returned Arbok and Wheezing to their pokéballs and watched the scene in terror. It was then that they noticed other, plainly dressed people assisting the wild pokémon—Ivory Island natives!

The first local was a middle-aged man with his pet Growlithe, which gladly tackled a distracted agent at its owner's command. The next arrivals were a married couple with a Poliwag and a Wooper, who got the baffled captain's attention.

"This whole bloody island's gone mad!" he yelled. The little water-types yipped together cheerfully and answered him with a horizontal geyser. James and Jessie screamed and ducked as their soaking wet enemy flew by over their heads.

"This is usually when we blast off!" James realized. For once, he and Jessie weren't the main target in this disaster. The pair lifted their heads nervously and gazed at the waiting ladder.

"Up up and awaaaaay!!" they howled, scrambling straight up the virtual stairway to heaven.

Still down in the common room, a few more of the natives had decided to venture below deck. An agent racing for the exit suddenly fell as something round and pink emerged from the hallway, tripping him. The pink lump was a Slow-Man, with a frazzled Jerry and Shelly clinging to the end of its tail.

"Well, at least Slow-Man finally made a good entrance," the diner owner managed to say. Tony popped up beside him just then, holding a fuming Pineco.

"Hey Jerry!" the chef called. "What's this guy supposed to do, anyway?"

Jerry and Shelly's eyes were wider than the plates they served food on. "_Gaaa!_ Throw it!" the waitress shrieked.

Tony immediately did—launching the blue time bomb into the air like a football. The Pineco growled its name hotly, and when it had every Team Rocket member's attention, it self-destructed.

KA-_BOOOOM!!_

The rest of the pokémon only stayed for a moment to observe their unconscious foes, then hurried away with their human helpers beside them.

…………………

Meowth could see the clones growing stronger right before his very eyes.

All around him, the captured pokémon were starting to move under those nets, and one by one, the Pikachu's friends were waking up. Still high above them, Mew showed no signs of weakening; for the most part, she was just returning the red energy that Giovanni's helicopter had thrown at her earlier.

The other cat continued to watch the reviving pokémon. "Pikachu, Vulpix, Bulbasaur…and Meowth Junior." He watched his stirring duplicate wistfully. "I'll always remember the time you tackled me to the ground. Our first meetin'…"

He glanced up at Mew then. "It's kinda' funny, knowin' so much about somebody you just met. It's like meetin' yourself!" Meowth knew full well that Mew wasn't a stranger to this concept, but he still felt the need to voice his thoughts. It was amazing that he actually had something in common with the ancient psychic.

Jessie and James caught up to him at that moment, looking like a herd of Tauros had chased them the entire way. "Meowth!" Jessie called to him. "We were—_aah!_"

She skidded to a stop when she noticed her surroundings, and James nearly plowed into her. They watched the pokémon breathlessly.

"Are _all_ of these pokémon the ones we're looking for?" James asked awkwardly.

"Looks like our pals've been busier than we thought," Meowth answered flatly.

A minute later, the largest creatures were wide awake, and announced their conditions by tearing free of the nets. Although Team Rocket didn't know it, they were looking at Mewtwo's Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Gyrados. The rest of these escapees, including a Lapras mother and its offspring, had been kidnapped on the way over.

Next came the medium-sized pokémon, the prisoners contained in the two middle pits. Mewtwo's Dewgong ripped through the netting effortlessly, and the rest eagerly followed suite. Last came the smallest captives, whose nets were removed by Mew. Her job done for now, the hovering cat became unusually interested in the architecture around her.

Jessie watched the other creatures, forgetting the conflict downstairs in her fascination. "What was keeping them in those traps before?"

"I dunno," Meowth admitted. "The Pikachu said somethin' on those helicopters had 'em all caput, but now it's…"

"Night of the living pokémon," James finished.

Ignoring them, the Pikachu clone kept its attention focused on Mew. "_Pikachu? Pika pi chu?_"

The psychic regarded it again. "_Mew,_" she nodded, and a hint of fear was heard in her voice. "_Mew mew_."

"_Chu pi pika._" the electric mouse pleaded softly.

Meowth and his clone were standing side by side now. "The Pikachu asked if Mew's seen Mewtwo, and now it wants Mew to take all the clones to him," he explained.

Mew silently held the Pikachu's gaze as she considered its request. She couldn't just bring the clones and leave the rest of these pokémon behind; they would all have to come, and that meant even more precious time would be lost from her search. Dwelling on this, the pink cat broke her eye contact to look at all of them.

The Squirtle clone was watching her as hopefully as the Pikachu. Mew had already felt a strange connection once with the little turtle, and now she saw more than just another face when it stared back at her. The Bulbasaur, the Meowth, every clone that she had led to this island two years ago…Mew saw more in all of them. She was as much compelled to help these creatures as Mewtwo had been, and now that she finally understood that feeling of death and separation, the legendary pokémon knew she could not deny them this wish.

"_Chu pi pika,_" the desperate clone whispered again.

An aura of pink surrounded Mew's body, and once more, she blocked out all other thoughts and concentrated…

--

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I just discovered that Brock's mother is also named Lola. Whoops.

Anyway, expect another update soon folks! My goal is to have this story done by the end of the month!


	24. A Purpose Fulfilled

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XXIV**

Ash could finally see the top of the mountain. The Spearow and Pidgey were still a few wing beats ahead of him, but the Zubat flock was quickly catching up; they would all reach the summit together. The thought of this took a minute to sink in with the Pallet Town trainer, and it was enough to twist a knot in his stomach. No matter what was waiting for him and the others up there, they couldn't turn back anymore. This was it.

"There it is, guys!" Ash called out. "We're almost to the top!"

"Everybody hang on!" Brock added. There was no telling what these crazy bats might do once they got there.

Between the two boys, Kara suddenly perked up. She could hear something. "…Who's screaming?"

She found out soon enough. The two flocks reached the edge of the crater and picked up speed. The image of chaos and black-suited figures flashed in front of them, but no human or pokémon had time to register exactly what was happening. The instant they cleared their rocky hurtle, they were spotted, and the ringleader of this senseless carnage attacked.

_BOOM!!_

The ground exploded right in front of them, sending the startled birds tumbling and shrieking. Like a wave, the reaction rippled back to the Zubat, and the blue creatures scattered in a panic. Everybody in their flying caravan was caught off guard by the blast, and in the confusion, Ash and his friends forgot to hold onto their wildly jerking rides.

Misty and Lola were the first ones to fall as Golbat lost its grip. Noctowl, already worn out from the climb, spiraled hopelessly out of control and dropped to the dirt with Mankey. Brock's hands slid right off of his Zubat's narrow legs, and Ash, Kara, and Pikachu were whipped loose as their carriers wrenched backwards. The fall was short, but the ground was slanted and nobody was ready to stick a landing; the screaming group rolled all the way down into the crater and came to a stop in the soft soil below.

Ash groaned and sat up. Kara was a short distance away from him and Pikachu, and he could see the others getting to their knees further behind her. They'd all survived the spill without injury, but they weren't out of danger yet.

Fortunately, Kara was still alert. "Ash! Look out!"

The boy lifted his head and cried out—three enormous stray chunks of rock were sailing towards them. Without a thought, he clutched Pikachu to his chest and dove away. Kara did likewise, and the collision of the boulders sent a shudder through the ground that propelled them even further. Ash hit the ground on his side and quickly released his yellow friend, granting it a softer landing.

"Pikachu!" he coughed. The mouse rushed to his side with a concerned yelp. "Are you okay?"

Nearby, Kara had landed on her back and was blinking up at the sky in shock. What she saw surprised her even more than the disaster she'd just been thrown into.

"It's Mewtwo…" she breathed.

Ash made a confused sound and followed her gaze. Sure enough, there was the psychic he had come to know so well, suspended high over the surface of a lake while his aura terrorized the world beneath him. Team Rocket agents were running for cover everywhere, stumbling over the shattered rocks and metal wreckage that covered the ground. Even some of the Pidgey and Spearow were lying unconscious near the bottom of the crater's slope now. Speechless, the boy gazed up at Mewtwo again.

What had happened? He and his friends had come here to help their wayward comrade, but instead they'd found him on a furious rampage in his own home. The cat was alone over the churning water—there was no sign of Mew or the clones anywhere—and he seemed almost oblivious to what he was doing. That angry blue light was swirling aimlessly around his body, growing faster and more vicious by the second. It'd only taken one look at this mess for Ash to see what was going on. Mewtwo had completely lost control, and he was going to single-handedly destroy this place and everything in it.

The boy sprang to his feet and charged, leaving Pikachu behind. He had to get Mewtwo's attention. He had to snap him out of it!

"Ash, wait!" Kara shouted. She leapt up and rushed after her friend.

"_Pikachu!_"

But their calls were cut off by Ash's frantic plea. "Mewtwo, STOP!!"

Indeed, he got the creature's attention. Mewtwo's burning eyes flew straight to the young trainer, and for the first time since Mew's death, he recognized something. The psychic was literally being blinded by his own brilliant powers, but as soon as this dark-haired boy's identity registered, the rage kicked in and he lifted a threatening hand.

"_YOU!_"

Ash was instantly ripped from the ground and slammed against the crater wall with every ounce of force that could be spared—he was only lucky that he'd been so close to it in the first place. After his impact, the boy remained pinned against the barrier by his psychic tormenter.

That was when Mewtwo recognized Kara too. Ash's sudden peril had distracted her, and the girl didn't notice that other gray hand pointing at her until she was engulfed in blue light. Then she was hurled straight up into the air. Back at the base of the slope, the others were horrified.

"KARA!" Lola screeched. The hysterical mother was on her feet and running towards the lake in a heartbeat.

Misty was dashing to help her friend as well. "ASH!"

"Oh no!" Brock exclaimed behind her.

Pikachu made the most desperate lunge for Ash, preparing to fire a thunderbolt at whatever was pressing him against those rocks. Mankey was bounding madly across the demolished plane with a fury that could have rivaled Mewtwo's. That double-crossing monster! It'd been right about him all along!

Noctowl and Golbat also hurried to help, but none of the frantic rescuers were any match against the psychic. As quickly as they'd snapped into action, his powers stopped them all in their tracks. Even then, Lola continued screaming her daughter's name while Pikachu and Mankey uselessly attempted to carry out their attacks. Mewtwo was pressing Ash harder and harder against the rock wall, indifferent to his shouts of pain, and as Kara was lifted higher and higher over the cat's head, it was clear that he was going to drop her.

Every traitor deserved to be destroyed.

Mewtwo chose to address his victims first. "Liars! Is this the goodness in humans you told me to see? The goodness of these thieves and murderers?!"

A sharp hum was heard just then, and Ash writhed in agony as his pain increased. "Mewtwo…" he struggled to say. "You don't want to do this…"

"_Silence!_" the beast thundered. "My clones have been taken from me! Our sanctuary has been invaded, and Mew lies dead on the shores of _this very island_ because of humans!"

Kara opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out; she'd been muted by her glowing deathtrap. Only Ash could voice his thoughts, and he knew enough to speak for both of them.

"You've gotta stop. You'll only lower yourself to their level," he groaned.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes. "That is not possible."

"Listen to me! Kara and I never did anything to you. None of us have…" The pressure grew worse still, but he continued even after his painful cry. "Domino was an agent! We just found out she was working for Team Rocket all along! _They're_ the ones who were after you, not us! You've gotta understand. There _are_ bad humans…but there's _good_ ones too. You've seen them. You know they do good things…"

Ash felt one more powerful force against him, and gritted his teeth in pain. He could barely breathe now. "…Don't you…remember the good things?"

Somehow, this last question made Mewtwo pause. He'd dismissed the rest of Ash's words as begging, a pitiful attempt to save his life, but this question sounded almost like a _challenge_. Already, the gray creature was remembering things—this wasn't the first time this boy had challenged him. Strangely enough, this pattern puzzled Mewtwo, and that puzzlement was enough to stay his angry hand for a moment.

A moment was all it took for the third party to arrive.

Helicopter blades sounded out behind him, and the psychic became alert as he turned around. The vessel was surprisingly fast for its size, and it slowed to a hover just meters away from the ensuing drama. Mewtwo squinted at the metal hulk and flicked his tail tensely. He recognized this as well.

A retractable roof panel at the front of the helicopter gave way just then, and a railed platform rose into view. If the sight of this vehicle hadn't surprised Mewtwo, the all-too-familiar figure standing atop that podium certainly did. A poised, stone-faced man with cold black eyes, dressed in a suit and accompanied by a Persian. It was like time hadn't touched him at all. In turn, Giovanni gazed down at his renegade clone with an amused smirk. He was thinking the exact same thing.

"It appears that old habits _do_ die hard, my friend," he observed, "though you don't seem to think that way about my men."

Mewtwo made no response, simply staring at his former partner. Then he looked back at Ash again. He was already loosening his crushing grip on the boy, who now met his stare directly.

Giovanni watched the pokémon's plight with endless patience. "There is no reason to hurry. We both knew we would find ourselves in this situation some day, but you may proceed if you feel you need more practice."

Mewtwo couldn't stop looking from Ash to the Rocket boss. It was the perfect dichotomy: a tug-of-war between the person who'd destroyed his trust in humankind and the person who'd restored it. This had been his torment for two years, and now that he held this integral boy's life in the palm of his hand, the telepath still didn't know which side to turn to.

And so he turned to Kara.

The girl was still suspended above him, just a flick of the wrist away from plummeting into the lake. She was rigid, and remained voiceless, but when Mewtwo focused on her deep brown eyes, he could see that she wasn't afraid of him. For the first time since he'd met this timid, isolated child, he could see that she truly wasn't afraid.

It was all coming back to Mewtwo now. Ash diving to save Pikachu back on New Island, moments after the pokémon had claimed it was his friend and not his servant. Kara tearing out of the trees three days ago, shouting at a creature she'd never seen before to release a Mankey that wasn't even hers. The sacrifice Ash had made to save a stadium full of pokémon, both born _and_ cloned. And now, even after the psychic had ordered them to stay behind in safety, the courage that they had each shown in climbing this mountain to aid him anyway.

The memories of those growing bonds returned to Mewtwo, and at last, he realized what a terrible thing he had almost done. He held Kara's gaze for another second, then looked to Ash as his senses returned. How could he have slipped so far? How could he have let his anger numb him so much?

"No," the cat said firmly, facing Giovanni again. Ash and Kara were lowered gently to the ground behind him, back to their shaken companions. "I learned how to defeat you a long time ago. Taking a _thousand_ innocent lives would not prepare me any more for this."

The man flashed an icy smile. "You have weakened yourself and your powers in this havoc, and you've seen what our weapons can do. There is nothing that can gain you victory this time, my friend."

"You murdered someone I loved." Mewtwo's voice was solemn and resolute as he recalled Mew's wrenching silence. "That is all I need to gain my victory."

"I employed fate to make my decision," Giovanni corrected him coolly. "The energy beam that struck your friend was meant to strike _you_. Mew chose to end its own life, and now there will be nothing to oppose us once we recapture you."

"I would sooner join _her_ than surrender to you!" the pokémon hissed, and he abruptly fired his swirling blue powers at his enemy. He'd never observed this man in such a clear light before, and now that Giovanni was out of his shadows, his undeniable cruelty was even plainer to see. This revelation fueled Mewtwo's assault, but the Team Rocket leader's prediction wouldn't be proven wrong so easily.

An instant before the psychic beam hit its target, the energy binders took effect and swung it sharply below the helicopter, absorbing the attack. Giovanni didn't even flinch. The red light gleamed dangerously at this sudden surge, and Mewtwo was wreathed in a hideous purple fusion in seconds. Then the creature felt his strength fading.

He was trapped. The energy binders had latched onto him—so strongly that he couldn't even break off his attack—and they were draining his powers faster and faster as the struggle went on. Even then, Mewtwo managed to resist; he clenched his eyes shut and concentrated, tightening every muscle in his body as he did so. He would not be retaken. He would not live in enslavement, even if he had nothing to live for here.

On the ground, his friends watched the standoff in petrified awe.

"What's that helicopter doing?" Brock gasped. He, Misty, and Lola were practically wrapped around Ash and Kara right now, still recovering from their near tragedy.

Ash held Pikachu tighter as the terrible answer dawned on him. "It's stealing Mewtwo's power!"

Kara watched the faltering pokémon from her mother's grasp. "There's got to be something we can do!" she cried. Mankey could only squeeze her shoulders reassuringly and wait for the bitter end. The telepath had redeemed himself in its eyes by sparing Kara, but the pig-monkey feared it would never have the chance to forgive him in person.

Mewtwo's efforts were failing. The purple blaze around him was gradually changing to red as the Rocket weapon began to take over. The tension in his arms and legs slackened then, and he bobbed unsteadily in the air—he couldn't hold himself up anymore. The worrying part of his mind was already resigned to this horrible fate, but another part of him was determined to bring justice to Giovanni for Mew and his clones. It was the only thing keeping his spirit from breaking right now.

The crimson light crackled furiously gain, jolting Mewtwo. He impulsively arched his back from the shock, then dropped his head forward. His opponent watched him with cold triumph, and ordered the pilot to open the vacuum. It would be over in a minute…

_Mewtwo._

The cat suddenly opened his weary eyes. He'd just heard a voice. It was in his head, and as distant and faint as it sounded, it was familiar. But it couldn't be…

_My brother. Let go._

"…Mew?" he rasped, barely believing. How was this possible? Mew was speaking to him in words. She was speaking to him from the darkness!

_Don't do this. You're playing into his trap. Don't fall into his trap._

"Mew! Can you hear me?" He was growing weaker…

_You're forgetting everything. Know your power. Don't focus it just on him._

Her voice was growing clearer. Mewtwo could sense this. He was fading so fast that he could hear her voice clearer.

_Help is coming, brother. Stay strong. Know your power._

"Sister!"

Mew's voice said no more. Instead, Mewtwo's call was answered by the shouts of other pokémon, and when he slowly turned his head to follow the sound, he saw them. Dozens of wild ones were appearing over the edge of the crater, and as more flew and crawled into view, he discovered that they were not alone. There were humans with them. Resident humans.

It was enough to snap Mewtwo out of his trance. The citizens of Ivory Island were being carried here by their pokémon neighbors, and the expressions on their faces showed an endless concern. The psychic watched as these newest arrivals touched down on the lakeshore alongside Ash and Kara, stunned by the sight of him.

He immediately knew why they'd come. These natives knew their home was being threatened, and they were here to lend whatever aid they could. The humans and pokémon had _both_ come to help.

Something was pulling Mewtwo towards the helicopter now; Giovanni's capture was almost complete. Still, he continued to gaze down at these individuals.

These humans…these were the ones Kara had spoken of. The good ones who would never hurt pokémon, and whom he should have looked at instead of the evil around him. Yes. These were _good _humans, and as he began to spot the hoards of Rocket agents glaring up at him as well, he realized that _those_ were bad humans.

It was so plain to Mewtwo now: all his life, he had been tormented by Team Rocket, and it was only when he'd encountered these other humans—Ash, Kara, and the rest of their kind—that his torment had lessened. Now he was here, trying to remove his betrayers from this tranquil island. Perhaps _that_ was his purpose: to protect these good humans from Giovanni's filth.

The tall creature lowered his head again, focusing on the water below.

Giovanni could see the chopper's vacuum taking effect. "A poor strategy seldom works twice. Perhaps it's good that you'll start your training over again."

But just then, Mewtwo put up one final struggle.

_FWOOSH!_

The Rocket boss stepped back in surprise. Right before his eyes, he saw a geyser of sizzling red liquid spurt into the air, severing the glowing beam between him and Mewtwo. It was a stream of lava, and it had come from the lake.

_FWOOSH! FWOOSH! _

Two more enormous streams erupted on either side of the hovering figure, sending up a spray of foaming water.

_FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!_

Ash gawked at the fiery display, and the reality of what was happening clapped him across the face. Mewtwo had not forgotten Ivory Island's legendary landmark. "He's making the volcano erupt!!"

That was when the lava came raining down.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"

Everybody was screaming. Natives, agents, visitors, even pokémon. A literal inferno was plummeting towards them, and there was nothing anybody could do to get out of the way.

So Mewtwo shielded them all.

Just like the lightning bolt four days ago, Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu could see the lava rush down and abruptly stop. Everything around them was shining blue, but even through the lights, they could see the molten rock splashing harmlessly away. Beyond the helpless clusters lay team Rocket's mangled machinery, which the burning river viciously devoured. As soon as the last of the black tools were gone, Mewtwo directed the lava up the sides of the bowl-shaped crater and allowed it to spill over the edges. The entire island was shielded in blue; there would be no more destruction.

A sharp twinge stung Ash's head just then and dropped him to his knees. His three adventurous friends did the same, and ghostly images of another island flashed in front of them. Images that they somehow recognized.

The agents were the next things removed. Even as he protected them, Mewtwo expelled them, allowing their struggling shapes to be swept away with the flow. Elsewhere on the island, the rest of their fellows were lifted into the air and carried off; the ship full of agents was hoisted swiftly out of the water, and back at Kara's house, Agent 009 was suddenly rescued from her hairy foes. Anywhere he sensed an evil mind, Mewtwo was repelling them out to sea.

Before long, the only trace of the villains that remained was Giovanni's helicopter.

The man behind the rail wasn't so confident anymore. "Captain!" he barked down to the cockpit. Reactivate the device!"

His crew scrambled to obey, but before any of them could reach the controls, the entire board went up in smoke and sparks. Now all of the cards were in Mewtwo's hands.

Immense pain seized the cat again, reminding him how far he was pushing himself. He shuddered but ignored it, and lifted his throbbing head to lock eyes with Giovanni.

"_You_ should have never started _this_ again."

With that, one more blast of lava came soaring up directly beneath the helicopter. The last Mewtwo saw of his former captor was the man's platform dropping out of sight, lowering the fiend and his Persian to safety as their vehicle hurtled away. It was over.

As quickly as it'd begun, the eruption was finished. Lava on the ground rushed back to the water and deep into the cracks it'd been pulled from, cooling into rock as though it had never melted.

Ash gasped and looked up at Mewtwo again. The images had ceased and the sting had gone away, leaving him and his friends behind with a solved mystery. The boy finally had his answers, and he finally knew exactly who the tortured creature above him was.

And he could see that it was dying.

The fiery stunt had taken its toll. Mewtwo had disregarded his wounded body's painful warning and had pushed himself over the line. He was already sinking towards the lake, losing the last of his strength, and with a last shaky effort, he formed a hopeless whisper.

"Ash…Kara…_Mew_…"

His two young comrades could only watch with grief as he plunged headfirst into the water, defeated.

It didn't take long for Mewtwo to reach the lakebed. He was heavy, and his momentum carried him straight to the bottom of the shallow pool. His final resting place would be a cradle of long dark weeds, and he met them softly on his back. The only thing the fading psychic could see now was the sun shining down through the water's quiet surface…and then a swarm of tiny dark shapes as they passed over him.

The Remoraid!

Despite his agony, Mewtwo's heart leapt at the sight of the little fish. They hadn't been harmed by the eruption! His Pikachu clone would have been so happy to see them again!

What had become of his poor clones? Had they been freed from their captors when he'd removed Team Rocket's helpers? Had they survived their ordeal? Something told Mewtwo that they had. The Remoraid were swimming in such perfect order. Things must have been alright now.

He watched the tiny school turn and swim back around. It was like one of his dreams; he was under water, peering through the drifting sea plants at a mystifying figure. This time, however, there were no unanswered questions.

He felt…at peace.

Mewtwo sensed the calmness washing over him, the strange, undeniable sense of safety that he had longed for his entire life. Yes. This was how peace felt.

Was this…Mew? Was she lulling him into this sleep from the other side, softening his pain? Was she finally easing the last of his torment as she pulled him away from this life, into the comfort of the world she now knew?

Mewtwo held onto his last thought as he watched the Remoraid continue to swim over him, all together, all happy, all safe in the midst of their kin.

At last, he would reunite with his sister.

At last, they would find peace…in death…

--

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(A much longer chapter than most, but there was so much I wanted to have in here. Stay tuned for Chapter 25!)


	25. The Past is Safe

(Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, pokémon, or events seen in the movie "Mewtwo Returns.")

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XXV**

Ash was beyond words.

He'd been right all along. He _had_ known Mewtwo and Mew before—he and all three of his friends had—and now in one terrible turn of events, both creatures were gone.

How could such a horrible thing happen to someone who'd already been through so much? Someone who didn't deserve it? Mewtwo had sacrificed himself right in front of all of them, and the last memory Ash would ever have of that tragic figure was seeing him fall to his death, and being powerless to help. The boy was shaking just from the bitter thought.

Beside him, Kara also watched the last ripples on the lake with heartbroken eyes. She had always recognized something in Mewtwo that the others couldn't, that same trapped feeling that had also troubled her. Her psychic companion had spent his entire life backed into a corner, and his watery tomb would be no less of a prison.

"Mewtwo…" Her throat was too tight to say anything else.

"We were too late," Ash said heavily as he hung his head. Lola and the others could say nothing to ease the burden.

That was when the worst twist of fate came.

"_MEW!!_"

Every soul in that crater looked up at the cry, and they all saw the tiny pink shape dart into view. Mew was oblivious to their stares; her sights were fixed on the lake straight ahead of her. A moment after she appeared, two-dozen more glowing forms followed. They were Mewtwo's clones.

"Oh no…" Misty whispered heartwrenchingly.

After the clones came Jessie, James, and Meowth. They were the last arrivals, as Mew had released all of the wild pokémon back into the sea, and the worn out trio hardly made a peep as they were lowered next to Ash's company with the rest of the convoy. Somehow, all of the complaints had been scared out of them.

The Pikachu clone was barely on the ground when it started running. The first familiar face it saw was Ash's Pikachu, and it rushed towards its somber comrade with a barrage of questions. _Where was Mewtwo?_

Mew never slowed as she set the pokémon down. She had found a signal at the base of the mountain, and it'd grown stronger and stronger as she flew closer. She could sense her brother's dilemma the entire time, and the waves of lava and airborne Rocket agents leaving the island had confirmed that he'd heard her calls to him. Even now, it was obvious that Mewtwo was under the water, but Mew wasn't celebrating her find. Not a moment before she'd cleared the top of the crater, something had happened: she'd lost that signal.

"_Mew?_"

It was gone. Gone. Mewtwo had reached out with a final burst of pain and then fallen completely silent. There was no trace of her brother's mind anymore.

Mew jerked to a halt over the water and gazed down. The ripples had disappeared, leaving a flat lifelessness over the lake's surface, a chilling reflection of what lay beneath. There was no denying it now.

Back on the shore, Mewtwo's Pikachu let out a soft wail as it heard the news. Ash's Pikachu could only share the sorrow as it tried to comfort its clone. The ache of this loss slowly appeared on the other pokemon's faces.

A new emotion tugged at Mew right then, a tight quiver in her chest that could only be grief. Mewtwo was gone. The same creature that she'd sacrificed everything to save had still fallen victim to his enemy, and his death had been far more painful than hers. The sadness stirred deeper in Mew, and her vision suddenly blurred with tears. She had lost a brother _and_ a son.

But she knew it wasn't over.

The little cat understood what to do now. She had been dead as well, and she'd felt Mewtwo's mind pull her back to this world only moments after. It was all a part of their psychic connection; they simply couldn't exist such a vast distance away from each other, but instead of in death, they would be rejoined in life. Mew was unsure of how long they'd shared this incredible bond or even why it worked that way—perhaps their purposes were too important for their lives to end? The only thing she _did_ know was how to help Mewtwo, and that was enough.

Mew murmured her name again and closed her eyes, concentrating.

_Mewtwo,_ she silently called. _Hear me. I'm here now, brother. I'm waiting for you. It's time to come back. _

Her eyes suddenly opened, shining with pink light. Seeing this, her human audience edged back cautiously.

"What's it doing?" Lola asked anybody who could hear her. None of the children around her could offer an explanation. The Pikachu clone held its breath hopefully.

They had their answer in seconds. A dark shape became visible beneath the lake's surface, and another glowing pink creature suddenly emerged out of the water. It was Mewtwo's body.

Ash and Kara were on their feet in a flash. What was going on? The larger cat remained motionless, and his head, limbs, and tail all hung limply in front of him as if he was being lifted by the scruff of his neck. Mew calmly raised the other psychic to her eye level and stopped him, waiting.

_Come back to all of us, brother. _

That was when her call was heard.

Mewtwo's tail immediately began twitching. His three-fingers slowly balled into fists, and then the stirring pokémon lifted his head…and opened his eyes. His sister was the first thing he saw after the pink light faded.

He blinked, still hazy. "…Mew?"

"_Mew!_" she purred back with a nod.

An immense wave of relief swept over him. The truth hadn't dawned on him yet. "Is this it? Is this the other side?"

Mew's only reply was a somersault and a giggling fit. Mewtwo pondered the odd display and finally glanced to the side for a clue. To his surprise, they weren't alone.

There were humans and pokémon here. Some of them he immediately recognized as his clones, but all of these faces seemed vaguely familiar to him, and they were all gazing up at him from the shores of the lake.

The lake? He stared straight down at the water under him. It was the exact same lake he'd been hovering over by himself minutes ago! He turned questioningly at Mew, who confirmed his thoughts with another nod. This was still the same side.

Stunned, Mewtwo looked out over the crowd again. The humans he saw _were _familiar. They were the natives of Ivory Island—the _good_ humans—and now that his confusion had worn off, he could see that their faces all shared an expression of endless gratitude. They were all thanking him for what he'd done for their home. The gray psychic paused as this sank in, and then another surprising realization came over him: these humans were amazed by him, but they weren't afraid. If anything, they seemed to be accepting him.

It was almost too much for Mewtwo to take in. Mew was alive. _He_ was alive. And now…

His eyes suddenly came to rest on a small group of humans and pokémon at the very front of the crowd, the most battered and tired looking ones in the lot. Ash and Kara were among them.

Mewtwo flew down to them without a thought. They both looked unhurt, and as he approached, he could see that they were more overjoyed to see him alive than angry at what he'd almost done to them. Even so, the humbled pokémon was unusually hesitant as he touched down a short distance ahead of them, meeting their gazes. He couldn't put that near betrayal behind him as quickly as they could.

Fortunately, his Pikachu gave him little time to dwell on it. The electric clone squealed excitedly and came darting towards him, then before its unsuspecting master could protest, it sprang up onto Mewtwo's narrow shoulders. The psychic was certainly startled by this bold greeting, but he welcomed it. The yellow mouse was too overcome with relief to be reserved, and its message was clear: all was forgiven.

Ash's Pikachu and Kara's Mankey weren't far behind. The first of the two eagerly leapt off the ground to join its twin, but the round pig-monkey was content with grunting an awkward hello at Mewtwo's feet. One thing at a time, after all.

The pokémon's human friends were the next ones to hurry over. Seeing the five of them, the telepath finally broke his silence. "How is this possible?"

Kara knew what he meant. "It was Mew!" she answered brightly. "She brought you back herself!"

Mewtwo watched his sister in awe as she came down to join him. "Even when I could not do the same for her," he finished softly. For once, he was willing to dub Mew the victor. "I do not know what part I played in her return, but my madness was to no one's benefit."

"It's great to have you back, Mewtwo," Ash said simply. His warm tone spoke volumes more.

Misty spoke up just then. "Hey, guys? What happened to all of those Team Rocket agents?"

"It looked like they were carried northeast," Brock observed. "I don't know how far away they ended up though."

Lola turned to them with concern. "Do you think they'll try to come back?"

Up to this point, Mew had been busy flying laps around the remaining Rocket trio and a handful of locals. She stopped instantly at the question though, and after a curious glance at Lola, she cocked her head and summoned her pink aura one more time.

…………………

Giovanni squared his jaw as he stepped out of his helicopter, accompanied by his Persian. The beaten transport was perched on one of his fleet ships, and glaring across the main deck, he saw nothing but a jumble of dazed agents. There was an odd color in the sky overhead, a blinding bubble-gum shade of fuchsia that barely looked natural, but as soon as he noticed it, the pink hue was gone.

Puzzled, the boss returned his glower to his agents, and he suddenly spotted a particularly clueless-looking female in a baseball cap off to his right.

"Agent 009," he addressed her curtly. "What are you doing here? I sent you on a long-term private mission just last month! You should be far from this place!"

The blonde girl gawked at him and quickly regained her composure. "Private mission?" she echoed. "What mission was that? And…where _are_ we?"

Every agent on the ship started glancing around after this question, and to their dismay, not a single one could answer it. Not even their boss.

Giovanni scowled. There was nothing but water in every direction, and try as he might, he couldn't remotely remember how or why he had ordered his troops to this place.

The Team Rocket leader turned and stepped lividly back inside his waiting chopper.

"Pilot," he growled into the cockpit. "Take me northwest. We can return to base once we locate land."

And that was the end of that.

…………………

Mewtwo continued to balance the pair of Pikachu on his shoulders as he studied Mew. The tiny psychic's feat had been over in a minute, but he'd sensed her powers, and was now watching her expectantly. Feeling his purple eyes on her, his sister returned the stare with an ironic smile.

"_Mew mewmew mewmew mew_." The past was _safe_ this time.

--

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I know, it's not a very original way to solve the Giovanni problem (hence my disclaimer at the top) but it's the best way. I thought it would be a perfect twist for Mew to erase that many people's memories after telling Mewtwo it was a bad thing to do the entire story. Sort of makes you wonder how she looks at everything. :-)

Expect the final chapter ASAP!


	26. Goodbye for Now

(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)

**The Return of Mewtwo**

**Chapter XXVI**

"Bye!"

"Goodbye!"

"So long!"

Ash leaned further over the rail of the S.S. Mary as he continued waving. Brock, Misty, and Pikachu did the same as they all crowded together at the stern of the supply ship. Even Jessie, James, and Meowth were huddled alongside them, shouting their own farewells to Ivory Island as they sailed away under the setting sun.

The days following Giovanni's invasion, as calm as they were by comparison, had not been uneventful. Mewtwo had seen the light that day, and although he'd allowed his clones to leave the confines of Mt. Ivory's crater, he had decided to remain there himself. The psychic had found his purpose on the small island; it was only appropriate to make his home there as well.

Kara was also content to stay. Whether her decision was because of Mewtwo or her revived fascination with the island, she couldn't say, but the girl was now certain that she was happy. This place was her home, and she was needed here too. Even so, Ash hadn't boarded the long-awaited supply ship with nothing—as he waved goodbye to her now with one hand, he held her pink seashell pendant in the other.

"Just bring part of me with you," she'd explained as she'd given it to him. "That way, no one'll have any regrets."

The simple philosophy had rung true for Ash, and for lack of anything more meaningful, he'd given her his flashlight in turn. It was a joke shared between them that even Mewtwo didn't understand.

Ash could still see Kara from this distance. The girl was up on a grassy ledge that hung out over the ocean, accompanied by Mewtwo, Mew, Lola, and of course Mankey and the Pikachu clone. Lola was waving goodbye alongside her daughter while the little fighting and electric pokémon at their feet gleefully shouted their names to the departing ship. Mew was zipping back and forth in the air as she always did, but she kept her eyes on the S.S. Mary the entire time. Only Mewtwo was perfectly still and silent.

The boy met his strong gaze from across the water, growing quieter as well. There was a calm warmth on the cat's face that could be seen even from this distance, and Ash could just sense that it was being directed solely towards him. It still amazed the young trainer; a week ago, he thought he'd never even heard of Mewtwo, and after everything he'd been through with the mysterious pokémon—their shocking encounter in the woods, the test to find those Remoraid in the cave, the talk with him about the injured Mankey—he realized that he didn't need to remember their first meeting on New Island. Ash had learned so much more about Mewtwo in a week on this peaceful setting than he ever would've hoped to on that battlefield. What was more, he'd had Kara there to help him complete the puzzle. Ash had taught Mewtwo the exact same lesson as two years ago, but this time, it had sunk in fully.

Back on the grassy ledge, the gray and purple creature shared these thoughts.

"You had a right to know," he said in a voice that only Ash could hear. "The years did not change you. Twice, you showed me what I did not wish to believe, and I know you would have proven it a thousand times again. _I_ will not forget _you_ this time either."

Confusion flashed on Ash's face at the call, and he glanced over at Brock, Misty, and Team Rocket. None of them appeared to have heard it. When he saw this, his amazement returned stronger than ever.

Misty noticed his odd behavior and hesitated. "Ash? What's wrong?"

The boy looked to Mewtwo and Kara again, smiling calmly to himself. "Nothing, Misty. I just got the feeling like we'll be back here again some day."

"_Pikachu!_" his little friend chirped in agreement.

Brock nodded. "Hopefully it'll be more relaxing next time."

"More ideal for the frady-cats!" Meowth added brightly. The ship pushed on towards Reef's Coast, carrying its passengers past a handful of familiar-looking water pokémon that surfaced nearby.

Kara stopped waving and squinted at the white vessel. She could barely see it anymore. Lola also stopped, and seeing them, Mankey and the Pikachu clone did likewise. Mewtwo, however, was in too good a mood to let it all end here. The glowing light suddenly returned to his eyes, lifting the four off the ground in a shimmering blue haze. They were startled at first by the gesture, but understanding the reason behind it, they grinned and resumed waving at the once again visible ship. Mewtwo watched them calmly from his place on the ground.

Beside him, Mew twirled idly and turned to face west. Then she took off.

Her brother immediately whipped his head around, surprised by this unexpected move. Concern seized him, and keeping his hold on Kara and the others, he impulsively left the ground to follow the smaller feline.

"Mew!" he called after her.

She came to a halt and turned back to face him, a pale spec of pink against the deep orange sky. "_Mewmewmew mew mew. Mew mew._"

Mewtwo stopped as well, reluctantly understanding. "Of course," he murmured softly. "You have your own purpose to fulfill, sister, and it leads you elsewhere."

Mew blinked her sapphire eyes and paused, staring fondly back at her brother. He always worried too much. "_Mew mew, mew mewmew mew mew!_" Then with a flash of white, she was gone.

Mewtwo remained hovering in the air, allowing her words to echo in his head. He smiled just then.

"Yes," he said quietly. "We shall meet again in dreams…"

--

The End

--

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Well folks, this is it. It took me over two years, but I finally finished this story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it, and thank you so much for all of your reviews and interest. You've officially made "The Return of Mewtwo" my most popular fanfiction on this site!

And just for the heck of it, if this story had end credits, I'd have "Never Gone" by the Backstreet Boys playing over them. The lyrics could apply to Ash and Kara _and_ Mew and Mewtwo.

-KRRouse


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